Significance of Elevated Levels of Serum Creatine Phosphokinase in Febrile Diseases: A Prospective Study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The incidence and significance of elevated serum levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in febrile diseases were studied prospectively in all patients admitted with fever to a department of medicine during 1 year. High serum CPK levels were detected in 70 (28%) of 247 febrile patients but in only six (6%) of 105 afebrile control patients (P = .0001). Elevated CPK levels were not related to any specific diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis identified five factors that correlated both significantly and independently with elevation of CPK values: increased blood urea nitrogen level, low serum phosphate level, a stuporous or comatose state, tremor, and muscle tenderness. Myoglobinuria, detected in 14 patients, was predictive of a fatal outcome, but a high CPK level by itself was not an independent correlate of mortality. In summary, CPK elevation is not uncommon in febrile diseases, but because it does not reflect a specific etiology it does not necessarily indicate that an extensive diagnostic work-up is required.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: