There tends to be confusion about how to interpret results of troponin and CK-MB levels in the acute MI patient. The following tips should help you:
Troponin—A good tip to help you remember is that troponin is more specific to cardiac muscle, and shows the “injury” that occurred is cardiac in nature. However, the troponin level can remain elevated for up to 10 days.
CK-MB—The rise and fall of CK-MB relates to the “timing” of the injury and helps the clinician know when the MI occurred. It only remains elevated for 36-48 hours, and can more accurately show the timing of the MI.
(Retrieved from www.rn.com, March 2006)
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