Table of Contents
What labs are elevated with rhabdomyolysis?
Repeated blood tests for the muscle protein creatine kinase (CK or creatine phosphokinase [CPK]) are the only accurate test for rhabdo.
- The muscle protein CK enters the bloodstream when muscle tissue is damaged.
- When rhabdo is present, CK levels will rise.
What diagnostic test would be used to evaluate the presence of rhabdomyolysis?
Serum creatine kinase and urine myoglobin levels are markedly elevated. The clinical examination, history, laboratory studies, muscle biopsy, and genetic testing are useful tools for diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis, and they can help differentiate acquired from inherited causes of rhabdomyolysis.
Is elevated CK always rhabdomyolysis?
Total CK elevation is a sensitive but nonspecific marker for rhabdomyolysis. CK levels 5 times the reference range suggest rhabdomyolysis, though CK levels in rhabdomyolysis are frequently as high as 100 times the reference range or even higher.
Which laboratory test is the primary diagnostic indicator of rhabdomyolysis?
An elevated CK level is the most sensitive laboratory test for evaluating an injury to muscle that has the potential to cause rhabdomyolysis (assuming no concurrent cardiac or brain injury).
Can rhabdomyolysis cause elevated liver enzymes?
Many clinicians are unaware that rhabdomyolysis is often associated with elevations of aminotransferases. Elevated AST levels have been observed in 95 percent of rhabdomyolysis cases and elevated ALT in 73 percent. This is consistent with muscle release of AST and ALT, a well-characterized phenomenon.
Is CPK and CK the same lab?
A CPK test or CK test is a blood test used to evaluate levels of creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme released when muscle damage occurs. Preparation: No fasting required. Avoid exercise prior to collection.
What does high creatine kinase indicate?
If you have higher than normal CK-MM enzymes, it may mean you have a muscle injury or disease, such as muscular dystrophy or rhabdomyolis. If you have higher than normal CK-MB enzymes, it may mean you have an inflammation of the heart muscle or are having or recently had a heart attack.
What causes elevated CPK levels?
When the total CPK level is very high, it most often means there has been injury or stress to muscle tissue, the heart, or the brain. Muscle tissue injury is most likely. When a muscle is damaged, CPK leaks into the bloodstream.