OVERVIEW
- creatine kinase dimer of M and B chains
- found mainly in myocardial cytosol (also in skeletal muscle)
- one of three isoenzymes of creatine kinase (CK)
KINETICS
- rises within 4-12 hours post infarction (high sensitivity and specificity)
- peaks at 18-24 hrs
- returns to baseline by 40 hours
INTERPRETATION
- diagnosis of MI can be enhanced by looking at MB isoforms or using MB fraction of total CK (important if there is significant skeletal muscle damage, cardioversion, hypothyroidism, renal failure)
- no increase in myocarditis
- rapid return to normal level allows for potential diagnosis of re-infarction.
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC
