Circulating cardiac troponin I in trauma patients without cardiac contusion

Objectives:To describe the evolution and the diagnostic value of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and to relate its concentrations with the indicators of injury in trauma patients. Design: Prospective, observational study of 17 young, previously healthy, mechanically-ventilated patients during the early post-traumatic period in the Surgical ICU of a University Hospital. Methods: Serial measurements of serum cTnI, total creatine kinase activity (CKtot) and its isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) (on admission, 12 h later, then daily for 7 days), clinical data and repeated electrocardiographic (ECG) and transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) recordings. Results: Rhabdomyolysis was observed in all the patients with a significant relationship between CKMB and CKtot. Despite the fact that no patient demonstrated ECG or TEE signs of myocardial contusion, elevated serum levels of cTnI were observed in six patients (35 %) without obvious dilutional interference. As compared with the others, these patients exhibited a more frequent arterial hypotension (83 % vs 18 %,p = 0.035), required greater volume expansion on day 1 (22,000 vs 8,500 mi, p = 0.027) and usually demonstrated early (83 % vs 9 %, p = 0.005) and late (66 % vs 9 %, p = 0.028) multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Conclusions: Taking into account the high reported sensitivity and specificity of cTnI dosage, the present results suggest cTnI can play a role in the evaluation of indirect myocardial injury following traumatic shock.