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Biomarkers in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
Michele Domico1, Meredith Allen
11Department of Pediatrics, Section of Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Children's Hospital of Orange County Orange, CA. 2Section of Critical Care Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Objectives:
In this review, we discuss the physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical role of troponin, lactate, and B-type natriuretic peptide in the assessment and management of children with critical cardiac disease.
Data Source:
MEDLINE, PubMed.
Conclusion:
Lactate, troponin, and B-type natriuretic peptide continue to be valuable biomarkers in the assessment and management of critically ill children with cardiac disease. However, the use of these markers as a single measurement is handicapped by the wide variety of clinical scenarios in which they may be increased. The overall trend may be more useful than any single level with a persistent or rising value of more importance than an elevated initial value.
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