Question

A client is seen in the urgent care center for complaints of chest pain 2 days ago. Since that time, the client has not been feeling well and fatigues easily. The nurse reviews the results of the laboratory tests. An elevation of which laboratory test indicates a myocardial infarction occurred at the time of chest pain 2 days ago?

Answer 1

To determine if a myocardial infarction occurred 2 days ago in the presence of chest pain, elevated levels of creatine kinase MB and cardiac troponin in laboratory tests are indicative of cardiac muscle damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

Elevated Laboratory Tests and Myocardial Infarction

An elevation of certain laboratory tests can indicate that a myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurred. A myocardial infarction is typically associated with chest pain and can be confirmed with various diagnostic tools. The two primary blood tests used to confirm an MI are levels of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin. CK-MB is an enzyme released into the bloodstream following heart muscle damage, while cardiac troponin is a regulatory protein released by damaged cardiac cells. Elevated levels of these substances strongly suggest that myocardial damage has occurred.

Additionally, other tests such as the ECG can show alterations in the ST and Q components indicating a possible MI, and imaging techniques like echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide further confirmation.