KAUAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Career Ladder Nursing Program

N212: Pathophysiology
Cardiac biomarkers worksheet KEY
Name
Myoglobin

Total creatine-kinase
(CK)

Location prior to be released into

blood with cell death
The primary oxygen-carrying pigment
of muscle tissue. It is high when
muscle tissue is damaged but it lacks
specificity.
Found in heart muscle, skeletal
muscle, and brain

Initial (I) elevation (hours)

Peak (P) levels (hours)
P- 2 hours

Levels back to normal (hours

to days)
1-2 days

I- Within 6 hours
P- 18 hours

2-3 days

Specific to myocardial cells

I- 3-6 hours
P- 12-24 hours

2-3 days

The most sensitive and specific test for

myocardial damage. Because it has
increased specificity compared with
CK-MB, troponin is a superior marker
for myocardial injury. Found in
myocytes
Synthesized in cardiac atrial muscle.
Released with atrial stretch.

I- 2-3 hours
P- 24 hours

7- 10 days, to 14 days

N/A

N/A

MB band of creatine
kinase (CK-MB)
Tropinins I & T

Atrial natriuretic peptide

(ANP)

Released in response to ventricular

Brain naturiuretic peptide stretch. Excellent marker of congestive
(BNP)
heart failure (CHF)

< 100 pg/mL = congestive

heart failure