Myoglobin serum test is a blood test to determine if muscular damage, i.e., heart attack or serious muscular trauma, has occurred. Myoglobin is a muscle protein and, when found in the blood, indicates muscular tissue damage. Knowledge of what the test is measuring, how the test is being done, and what test results show can enable physicians and patients to make on-time, appropriate, and informed health decisions. This article educates the reader on the purpose, process, normal value, and interpretation of the myoglobin test, and more about its cost and application in Pakistan.
What is a Myoglobin Test?
Myoglobin blood test is a blood test that literally which is only verifying the amount of myoglobin in your blood. Myoglobin is a protein found in cardiac and skeletal muscles to store oxygen and distribute it to areas where oxygen is being used. When muscles are injured, myoglobin spills over into the blood. Since this can happen relatively fast, physicians have actually utilized practice of this as an agent for diagnosis in the instance of acute muscle trauma, such as myoglobin test for heart attack.
If your doctor suspects that you’ve had a heart attack or another serious muscle injury, they may order a cardiac myoglobin test. It’s also useful for diagnosing other conditions where muscle tissue breaks down. This test gives early insights before other markers like troponin become detectable.
Why is the Myoglobin Test Done?
Myoglobin serum is prescribed by physicians for diagnosing and quantifying muscle injury. The most common indication physicians have in why myoglobin test is done is suspected myocardial infarction. Because myoglobin is found in the blood comparatively soon after heart muscle damage, it's an earlier warning in certain circumstances than some diagnostic tests.
What does myoglobin indicate? Other than cardiac disease, the test would be indicated in trauma, muscle disease, or exercise leading to muscle breakdown. The test may be used in road accident syndrome, electric burn, or musculoskeletal pain to determine muscle injury. The test may be utilized for the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis, a lethal condition where there is rapid muscle breakdown with a resulting renal failure if not treated.
Preparation for Myoglobin Test
Preparation is not required for the myoglobin test. You do not need to fast when you go for the test and it is a quick test that takes just a few minutes and is not difficult. Tell your doctor, however, that you are on medication today because certain medications will affect your test.
Do not strain unless instructed to do so before the test. Straining increases myoglobin in the blood, thus resulting in a false positive test result. Loose garments have it easy for the technologist to reach the blood. In case you had recent muscle surgery or major trauma, notify your physician.
Myoglobin Test Procedure
The myoglobin test procedure is simple. Your health care providers will insert a small needle into a vein in your arm to collect a very small sample of blood. It takes only a minute or two and hurts very little, like a routine blood test.
When the blood is drawn, the test specimen is brought to a laboratory where laboratory technicians quantitate myoglobin level. Hours may be required to produce in an emergency setting of suspected myocardial infarction. It may be repeated repeatedly for hours to monitor change in myoglobin concentration.
Read More: Liver Function Test (LFT): What it is?
What to Expect After the Myoglobin Test?
Your normal activity may be resumed as early as possible after the test. Neither of the patients is injured nor worse bruised nor sensitive at the puncture area and the effect would be lost within a day.
If your myoglobin level is high, your physician will discuss what this could mean for your health. Your doctor might also suggest other tests based on your symptoms and history, such as troponin, ECG, or creatine kinase (CK) testing. If your level is normal and all of your symptoms have resolved, further testing would not be necessary.
Interpreting Myoglobin Test Results
Myoglobin test normal range is normally 25 to 72 nanograms per milliliter of myoglobin in normal blood but slightly higher or a bit lower from lab to lab. It would be a sign of recent muscle damage if more than this amount.
Myoglobin test results meaning with vastly increased levels of myoglobin, it would be a myocardial infarction in the setting of an increase with other evidence of chest pain and dyspnea. It also occurs with rising levels following trauma to muscle, burn, seizure, or excessive exercise. With vastly increased levels, renal function can be involved also and additional workup would then be indicated to assess renal function.
Low levels of myoglobin, however, are never an issue in the majority. They are present in certain wasting disorders of muscles but are not usually used for their detection.
Conditions Where Myoglobin Test is Diagnosed
Some of the examples of the use of myoglobin test are largely in the emergency department as an outpatient screening test in patients presenting with chest pain or muscle trauma. These test myoglobin for the diagnosis of:
- Heart attack, particularly in the early phase.
- Muscle injury blood test due to falls, trauma, or burns.
- Rhabdomyolysis, an undesirable condition that is followed by renal damage.
- Seizures, acute infections causing muscle deterioration.
- Neuromuscular diseases causing muscle deterioration in a progressive way.
Though the test is sensitive and quick, it is not specific. i.e., while it can detect muscle damage, it can or may not always determine whether it's cardiac damage or to some other organ. So, the test is done along with other tests for diagnosis.
Myoglobin Test vs Hemoglobin Test
Myoglobin and hemoglobin are two proteins that bind to oxygen with specific roles in the body and utilized for other purposes. Myoglobin occurs in muscle tissue and utilized to transport oxygen to muscle cells, whereas hemoglobin occurs in red blood cells and utilized to transport oxygen to the rest of the body.
Myoglobin test is conducted to look for muscle damage, which would otherwise be seen in an emergency such as heart attack, and hemoglobin test is conducted to find out anemia or hemorrhage. Both are two different tests but physicians may prescribe both unless weakness or trauma is found.
Myoglobin Test Cost in Pakistan
Myoglobin test price in Pakistan is not standard and lab to lab and area to area. The test will cost anywhere between PKR 2,000 to PKR 4,500. Aga Khan Lab, Chughtai Lab, and Shaukat Khanum are some of the most reliable diagnostic centers providing this test, each of whom also has home collection available. Best to call or search for it on their official website for up-to-date price and availability.
If you are receiving the test as a panel for heart attack or acute myocardial infarction, then the test can be conducted by the laboratory in combination with other tests such as CK-MB or troponin and reduces the cost overall.
Book lab tests from the best-certified labs in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, and get a discount of up to 35%. For assistance, call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the right lab test for your health needs.
