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Do we still need CK-MB in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery?

D Bimmel1, B Patermann, T Schlosser

  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. dieter.bimmel@ukb.uni-bonn.de

Insights

Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is a superior biomarker for predicting outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery compared to CK-MB. This study highlights cTnI

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarkers
  • Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Early prediction of outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is crucial.
  • Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) and CK-MB are commonly used biomarkers, but their comparative efficacy in this context requires clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the role of cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) and CK-MB for early prediction of outcomes in patients undergoing CABG surgery.
  • To compare the diagnostic accuracy of cTnI and CK-MB in identifying perioperative myocardial ischemia (PMI).

Main Methods:

  • 134 consecutive patients undergoing CABG surgery were analyzed for cTnI concentration and CK-MB activity.
  • Continuous monitoring of ECG, hemodynamic parameters, and inotropic support was performed.
  • Patients were stratified into groups based on the presence and severity of ischemia (uneventful, hemodynamic stability, or requiring IABP).

Main Results:

  • Elevated cTnI and CK-MB levels were observed post-surgery in all patients.
  • Five hours after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) cessation, significantly lower cTnI levels were found in patients with an uneventful course compared to those with ischemia (p=0.035 and p=0.023).
  • cTnI demonstrated higher sensitivity (99%) and specificity (97%) than CK-MB (90%/30%), with a better positive predictive value (86% vs. 33%) for predicting outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is a specific and sensitive marker for evaluating perioperative myocardial ischemia (PMI) in CABG patients.
  • CK-MB activity provides no additional clinical information beyond cTnI.
  • cTnI should be the preferred biomarker for outcome prediction in CABG surgery.
Abstract

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