NUR MISC - Cardiac Study Guide.

NUR MISC - Cardiac Study Guide/NUR MISC - Cardiac Study Guide. • Know cardiac enzymes • Serum cardiac markers are proteins released from necrotic heart muscle. The proteins most specific for diagnosis of MI are the creatine kinase (CK, or creatine phosphokinase, CPK) and cardiac-specific troponins o Creatine kinase - an important enzyme for cellular function found principally in cardiac and skeletal muscle and the brain. CK levels rise rapidly with damage to these tissues, appearing in the serum 4 to 6 hours after AMI, peaking within 12 to 24 hours, and then declining over the next 48 to 72 hours. The CK level correlates with the size of the infarction; the greater the amount of infarcted tissue, the higher the serum CK level. Elevated CK alone is not specific for MI