Question

The nurse is caring for a patient with a suspected myocardial infarction. Which of the following laboratory results would the nurse expect to be elevated?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

1) Troponin I

2) Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB)

3) Lactate dehydrogenase 1 (LD1)

4) Serum sodium

5) Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)

Answer 1

In the case of a myocardial infarction, a nurse would expect elevated levels of Troponin I, Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and Lactate dehydrogenase 1 (LD1), as they indicate damage to the heart muscle. Serum sodium and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are not specific markers for myocardial infarction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse caring for a patient with a suspected myocardial infarction (MI) would expect certain laboratory results to be elevated, which help confirm the diagnosis. The most common and reliable markers for an MI include Troponin I, which is a regulatory protein involved in muscle contraction, Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), an enzyme which reflects muscle damage by catalyzing the conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine, and Lactate dehydrogenase 1 (LD1), a marker of cellular damage, particularly in the heart. These markers are released into the bloodstream when cardiac muscle cells are damaged during an MI. On the contrary, Serum sodium and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are not typically elevated due to myocardial infarction and are therefore not relevant markers for this condition.

In essence, upon myocardial infarction, there is a release of certain enzymes and proteins that can be detected in the blood. Troponin I levels rise shortly after an MI, and they remain elevated for days, making it a very specific indicator. Also, CK-MB is a more specific isoenzyme for heart muscle damage and rises within hours of an MI episode. Lastly, an increase in the LD1 isoenzyme of lactate dehydrogenase, which is abundant in cardiac muscle, serves as another indicator of heart damage.