The distribution of enzymes in tissue and cell structures is important in the clinical application of serum enzyme determinations. For example, sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and fructose -1, 6-diphosphate aldolase occur only in liver, while creatine phosphokinase (CPK) appears in high concentration in striated muscle. Since almost one third of the body weight consists of the skeletal musculature, even small subclinical injuries to this large tissue mass will lead to changes in the serum enzyme pattern.1 The purpose of this study was to evaluate fluctuations in CPK, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) enzymes in wounded patients evacuated from the Republic of Vietnam to Japan in order to evaluate the efficacy of enzyme values as a means of determining the ideal time for delayed primary closure.
Materials and Methods
A total of 205 patients were randomly selected for CPK determination from the general surgery, orthopedic and septic