CPK stands for Creatine Phosphokinase. This is a substance that is found in the human body in places like the heart muscle and skeletal muscles. The CPK blood test is used to determine if any damage has occurred to these muscles or to other locations of the body where CPK is found. The CPK blood test is often used to evaluate if a person has suffered from a heart attack.
The CPK blood test is a test which uses a sample of blood that is drawn in the traditional manner. This means that blood is drawn from a vein in the upper forearm. This blood is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. The CPK blood test is usually conducted on suspected heart attack patients. This is why the test may be conducted in a hospital. For all other patients, the test may be conducted as a routine screening to check for any underlying problems. Also read more on LFT blood test.
The reason for elevated CPK blood test results is that the substance CPK leaks into the blood from where it is filtered and removed from the body. This leakage occurs when the tissues of the heart muscles or skeletal muscles get damaged. These tissues will leak their contents into the blood stream. This leads to high CPK blood test range. It should be noted that there are other conditions that can cause the CPK blood test normal levels to rise. These include strokes and inflammation of the skeletal muscles. Muscle tissue death may also cause CPK blood test elevated levels.
The CPK blood test is conducted on patients who are in hospital when they are receiving treatment for heart conditions. This is done to ensure that the heart muscle is not suffering from further attacks. CPK levels are also often examined over a period of time to check if there is any gradual increase in the quantity of this substance in the blood. When this gradual rise takes place, it indicates that there is a progression of some condition that is causing muscular symptoms. Once this has been established, the patient may be put into a regime of preventive care to ensure that the problem does not elevate to the point where it causes serious life threatening symptoms.
People who suffer from regular chest pains should visit a doctor for a CPK blood test, even if the pain is mild and may not interfere with the day to day activities of the individual.