Serum myoglobin and creatine kinase following surgery

Serum myoglobin (by radioimmunoassay) and creatine kinase were measured for up to 7 days in 30 patients following surgical procedures, including total hip replacement and bilateral subcostal abdominal incisions. Serum myoglobin reached a maximum of 1390 mu g litre(-1) (median 345 mu g litre(-1) for major surgery patients) on the first postoperative day but levels were still elevated by day 7 in some patients. Creatine kinase reached a maximum of 1339 i.u. litre(-1) at day 2 (median 422 i.u. litre(-1) for major surgery patients), generally peaking 1 day after myoglobin in individual patients. These values may have significance when investigating a suspicion of coincident perioperative events such as myocardial infarction or malignant hyperthermia.