Which department should I visit for high creatine kinase levels?
Dec 05, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Introduction
Elevated creatine kinase (CK) refers to high levels of creatine kinase; patients should visit the cardiology department. Measuring creatine kinase activity helps diagnose skeletal muscle disorders and myocardial diseases. The normal reference range for serum creatine kinase is 18.0–198.0 U/L. High creatine kinase levels warrant evaluation in the cardiology department, as they may result from conditions such as acute myocardial infarction or viral myocarditis, or possibly from physiological causes.
Elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels generally refer to high phosphocreatine kinase, and patients should visit the cardiology department of a hospital.
Creatine kinase is primarily found in cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and smooth muscle. Smaller amounts are present in brain tissue, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and lungs. Measuring creatine kinase activity is useful for diagnosing diseases of skeletal muscles and the heart. Normally, the reference range for serum creatine kinase is 18.0–198.0 U/L. If elevated creatine kinase levels are detected, patients should seek care at the cardiology department, as this may indicate conditions such as acute myocardial infarction, viral myocarditis, muscular dystrophy, pericarditis, or cerebrovascular accidents.
In addition, increased creatine kinase levels may also result from physiological factors, such as intense or prolonged physical exercise, newborn status, or intramuscular injections of anesthetics, analgesics, and antibiotics, all of which can lead to elevated creatine kinase. It is recommended to visit the cardiology department at a hospital to determine the specific cause of elevated creatine kinase and receive appropriate treatment accordingly.
