OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of cardiac damage and the diagnostic value of serum myocardial enzyme following electric injuries. METHOD: 32 patients with electrical contact injuries were evaluated by serial electrocardiograms (ECG), creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) determinations. The patients were divided into two groups according to the ECG. RESULT: 17 patients showed abnormal ECG (Group A), and 15 normal ECG (Group B). Positive correlations were noted between CK, CK-MB and the size of electric burns. The difference of serum CK-MB and 1.1% of total CK (CK-MB in skeletal muscle) was defined as CK-MB difference. CK, CK-MB, CK-MB/total CK ratio and the CK-MB difference were significantly higher in group A than in group B (all P < 0.05). The CK-MB difference of 88% (15/17) patients in group A was more than 25 U/L, whereas that was 6.7% (1/15) in group B (P < 0.01). Six patients with CK-MB difference greater than 100 U/L had obvious cardiac damage. CONCLUSION: Cardiac damage is a common complication of electric injuries. The cardiac damage could be estimated by serum CK-MB, particularly by the CK-MB difference. The CK-MB difference might be a useful indicator for evaluating the severity of the cardiac damage.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of cardiac damage and the diagnostic value of serum myocardial enzyme following electric injuries. METHOD: 32 patients with electrical contact injuries were evaluated by serial electrocardiograms (ECG), creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) determinations. The patients were divided into two groups according to the ECG. RESULT: 17 patients showed abnormal ECG (Group A), and 15 normal ECG (Group B). Positive correlations were noted between CK, CK-MB and the size of electric burns. The difference of serum CK-MB and 1.1% of total CK (CK-MB in skeletal muscle) was defined as CK-MB difference. CK, CK-MB, CK-MB/total CK ratio and the CK-MB difference were significantly higher in group A than in group B (all P < 0.05). The CK-MB difference of 88% (15/17) patients in group A was more than 25 U/L, whereas that was 6.7% (1/15) in group B (P < 0.01). Six patients with CK-MB difference greater than 100 U/L had obvious cardiac damage. CONCLUSION:Cardiac damage is a common complication of electric injuries. The cardiac damage could be estimated by serum CK-MB, particularly by the CK-MB difference. The CK-MB difference might be a useful indicator for evaluating the severity of the cardiac damage.