Myocardial infarction complicating critical illness
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* Corresponding author: Yaniv Almog almogya@bgu.ac.il
1 Fellow, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
2 Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Critical Care 2005, 9:634-635 doi:10.1186/cc3893
Published: 2 November 2005Abstract
Cardiac troponins are highly sensitive and specific indicators of myocardial injury. Although the mechanism of this injury is not entirely clear, it carries important prognostic information. Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponins have been described in a wide variety of conditions other than myocardial infarction (MI). The current study is an important first step in trying to determine the exact frequency of MI among critically ill patients with elevated troponin. At present, the rate of MI in these patients is unknown and its implications on outcome and management will have to await future prospective clinical trials.