New Serum Markers for Acute Myocardial Infarction

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Abstract
A crucial step in confirming or ruling out the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction is the measurement of myocardial enzymes in the serum. The levels of creatine kinase (CK) and especially of CK-MB (the myocardial-specific isoform) have served as essential components of decision making in emergency rooms for over 25 years. Common experience indicates, however, that this standard diagnostic test is far from perfect. The diagnostic specificity of elevations of CK-MB is reduced in the case of skeletal-muscle injury, such as may occur after chest compressions for resuscitation, electrical defibrillation, intramuscular injections, or extreme exercise. In the critical first six . . .