Levels and Significance of Serum Cardiac Troponin T (Ctnt) in Burn Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND Burns are a public health problem globally. It is estimated to cause 265,000 deaths from fires alone. Burns trauma are a major cause of injury in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Fatal fire-related burns accounts for 95% according to 2015 Global Health Estimates. Kenya, an LMIC has significant burns cases with a study by Saidi in Nairobi indicating a prevalence of 25.9% of all injuries. Hospital burns deaths were at 1.7% compared to pre-hospital deaths at 5.9%. Burns are also known to cause neuroendocrine derangement, hypovolemia and induce different inflammatory cytokines. The three can singly cause myocardial injury, thus, an amplified effect when the three are present. Cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) levels, a myocardial injury biomarker helps in evaluating the extent and significance of burns as a stress factor for myocardial injury. The elevation of levels of troponins in patients with burns corresponds to the myocardial injury. OBJECTIVE To determine the levels and significance of cTnT in burn patients admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). METHODOLOGY The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study done at KNH. All 91 study participants were patients admitted with burns. Serum was analyzed using a calibrated Cobas 6000 platform using the chemiluminescent immunoassay technique. Chi-square and Spearman’s Correlation were used to statistically analyze the data. xi