Effect of electrical cardioversion on myocardial cells in patients in intensive care.

For about 30 years electrical cardioversion has been routine for converting arrhythmias. Whether the application of shocks in the usual dosage is safe is still controversial as minimal myocardial cell injury cannot be excluded. If simultaneous muscle damage occurs the measurement of common cardiac markers, especially creatine kinase and its isoenzyme creatine kinase MB, lacks specificity. We therefore also measured the concentration of cardiac troponin T as this is the most sensitive and specific marker to date.