HomeAnswersCardiologyelevated ckWhat does left atrial enlargement with elevated CK indicate?

CK with abnormal ECG findings. What to do?

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Sneha Kannan

Published At May 2, 2021
Reviewed AtJuly 10, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I have been experiencing chest pain. Symptoms first started four days ago, after which I went to the local ER, and an ECG was taken, which came back as abnormal. The ECG findings were - Sinus rhythm normal, atrial premature complexes, probable left atrial enlargement, anteroseptal infarct. I had a thyroidectomy seven years back. I am also on tablet Synthroid. Blood work was also done, which showed higher TSH.values. Everything else was in range, except CK, which was 562 U/L. The ER doctor explained how PACs work and that they are fairly normal; however, I did not see the ECG report and blood work until I was discharged. I booked a Holter monitor and follow-up with a cardiologist. Please provide a second opinion on these results, specifically about the elevated CK count and ECG findings other than PACs. Thank you.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went throught your query and your electrocardiograph (attachments removed to protect patient's identity). Before I could give my opinion, I would like to know some more details about your present symtoms. What is the exact location of your chest pain? Is it continuous or intermittent? Is it at rest or on exertion? What is the nature of your chest pain- is it squeezing type, heaviness, pin prick type, dull aching kind or burning type? Do you have any other cardiac symtoms associated with it like breathlessness on exertion or palpitations, giddiness? Do you smoke or drink alcohol? Do you have any history of diabetes and hypertension? Do not depend on the printed diagnosis of the ECG. Your ECG is almost normal except for few ectopics or premature complexes. If your chest pain is significant then you need to undergo few tests to rule out any cardiac disease. Kindly get back with above details for further discussion and management strategy. Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response. The exact location of my chest pain feels like the upper left of the heart. The pain feels continuous, heavy, and at times. The cardiac symptoms are not that consistent other than palpitations, but I do feel exhausted. I do not smoke or drink alcohol or have a history of diabetes or hypertension. I am taking capsule Gabapentin for a pinched nerve or bone spur in the cervical spine area. I also had a complete thyroidectomy seven years ago due to papillary carcinoma. My tablet Synthroid is to be adjusted today by my family doctor as per the conversation. Would you please tell me the significance of the CK reading? Thank you.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme that can be released in the body for various reasons like cardiac events, muscle injury, sepsis, multi-organ dysfunction and so on. As it is a non-specific marker, for cardiac injury specifically, we use the marker- creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK MB) or a more specific one, Trop I (troponin I). Your chest pain, as per your description, does not seem to be cardiac in origin. You need not worry. We will evaluate it further since you have pain and palpitations. Get one 2D Echo (2D-echocardiography) done for your heart and TMT (treadmill test) to ensure you do not have structural heart disease and inducible ischemia. Since you did not describe your palpitations before, I need to know the following. How often do you get palpitations? Do you feel exactly a fast heart rate or forceful heartbeat? How long does it last every time? Is it regular beats or irregular beats when you have palpitations? Also, tell me about your chest pain, whether it increases on pressing over it with the hand? Is there any history of chest trauma or injury or heavy weight lifting recently? Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response. I will have an echocardiogram soon. My palpitations are constant throughout the day. I monitor my heartbeat, and it fluctuates between 80 to 110 BPM over a one-minute sample. I have a mobile ECG monitor, and it mostly shows regular beats and irregular beats. Today, I had to run to catch a bus for not more than 20 seconds on my way to work. I was previously accustomed to running 5 km per day within the last one to two years. I was out of breath and could feel my heart beating out of my chest for 15 to 20 minutes after catching the bus. I see a change in how my body responds to various activities. Chest pain does not increase by applying pressure with my hand. I have no history of chest trauma injury or heavy weight lifting. I have a terrible headache throughout the day, but not sure if there is any correlation with heart activity. I could not sleep last night because of the headache and had to take tablet Ibuprofen for relief, and it returned today and persisted throughout the day. Regards.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

In my opinion, you have significant breathlessness that needs to be evaluated. And the irregular heartbeats that you feel are forceful must be the extra beats that are, the premature complexes. Kindly get your echocardiogram done whenever possible and if that is normal we will proceed further with a Treadmill test (TMT) and a 24 hour Holter monitoring (ambulatory electrocardiography device). If you have gastritis or acidity I suggest you use Tablet Pan 40 mg (Pantoprazole) once a day for the next five days and Tablet Dolo 650 mg (Paracetamol) for headache. Do not practice aby exertion till we sort out your cardiac problem. Kindly get back with an echocardiogram and other reports for further discussion. Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response. I am currently on a holter monitor, and it seems my rhythm was normalizing over the last few days. However, today I experienced tachycardia. It persisted for about 9 hours. Honestly, I felt horrible and ended up leaving work early. I have a mobile ECG monitor, and I took many ECGs throughout the day. I have attached a sample result from a few hours ago. I wonder if this result suggests ischemia. Please let me know what your opinion on this is? Regards.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Based on your echocardiogram (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity), it is just sinus tachycardia. There is no reason to worry about your present ECG. It is good to know that you are getting the holter test done. We will evaluate your entire rhythm for the duration. Do you get anxious or stressed out very often due to work or personal issues? Also, get your thyroid profile checked, as imbalances in that report can also lead to palpitations or tachycardia. Start doing meditation and relaxation exercises and stay calm. I suggest you not get anxious about anything in your routine. Please get back to me once you get your Holter report. Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

default Img
Dr. Yermal Tanmai Deelip

Cardiology

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Read answers about:

ecgelevated ck

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Cardiology

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy