Coma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Coma, including details on causes, diabetes, gcs, recovery.

Sequential measurements of troponin Ic values in brain-dead patients considered as potential heart donors.

Boccheciampe N, Perrier JF, Lalot JM, Voltz C, Strub P, Treuvey L, Meistelman C, Mertes PM, Longrois D

It was suggested that a single value of normal or increased plasma cardiac troponin T or I (cTnT or cTnI) concentration could contribute to estimate donor myocardial damage and function in brain-dead patients. In patients with acute coronary syndromes, an initial normal value of troponin must be confirmed several hours later but no such recommendations exist for brain-dead patients. We investigated the relationship between two sequential (6 h interval) measurements of plasma cTnI concentrations in brain-dead patients considered as potential heart donors. The first and the second TnIc values were correlated with an adjusted r2 value of 0.92 (p<0.001). Our results suggest therefore that it is not necessary to repeat the measurements, when the value of plasma cTnI concentration is taken into consideration in the algorithm for cardiac harvesting.

Published 19 March 2007 in Int J Cardiol, 117(1): 136-7.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Coma Research Today. All Rights Reserved.