Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) are intracellular enzymes which do not normally appear in appreciable concentrations in the serum. Serum levels are elevated in a variety of conditions in which cellular necrosis or changes of cellular permeability have occurred.1-4 The elevation of serum enzymes is proportional to the extent and duration of cellular damage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate serum enzyme levels in combat casualties: specifically, the effects of (1) wound type, (2) shock, and (3) transfusion therapy.
Materials and Methods
All patients were American or South Vietnamese soldiers wounded less than two hours prior to admission to a front line hospital. No therapy had been given before the first sampling of serum. At admission, blood was drawn for arterial blood lactate, arterial pH, pO2, pCO2, and serum enzyme levels.5 Thereafter, blood was drawn at least once