Abstract
Serum activities of creatine kinase (CK) and its isoenzymes were monitored before and 16 to 20 hours after a variety of surgical procedures and cardioversion. Changes in total CK and CK MM activities in the surgical patients were consistent with the extent of trauma; changes in these activities in the cardioversion patients were more variable, ranging from —2 to 1829 U/l, and were unrelated to the applied electrical force. CK MB activity was unchanged after cystoscopy but rose moderately in 60 % of patients after cholecystectomy, in 43 % of patients requiring only implantation of a new pacemaker box, and in 87 % of patients after implantation of an entire pacemaker system. No increase exceeded 6U/l. Fifty per cent of patients requiring cardioversion showed rises; the maximum value was 40·9 U/l.