Correlation between serum creatinine kinase levels and extent of muscle damage in electrical burns.

The relationship between clinical course and changes of laboratory findings in patients with high-voltage electrical burns with regard to creatinine kinase activity was analyzed in order to determine the value of this prognostic parameter with regard to patients survival and risk of limb amputation. In a retrospective study 42 patients with electrical burns were reviewed. CK serum levels were determined every day during the first 10 days following submission. Analysis of data revealed a relation between strongly elevated CK levels and patients risk of limb amputation and mortality. Although further research is necessary, there is strong evidence that the amount of burned body surface area does not directly correlate with the true extent of tissue damage caused by high tension injuries. Our data suggest that the degree of muscle tissue violation corresponds with the initial excess of creatinine kinase levels in blood serum. This may be an additional factor to support the decision for early surgical decompression of electrically burned extremities and aggressive surgical management of the high-voltage burn victim. Furthermore, it may provide a prognostic parameter for the clinical outcome of these patients.