High serum cardiac troponin T concentrations in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome

In preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), cardiac function is negatively influenced by the severity of the lung disease. On day 2 of life, cardiac troponin T (cTnT), biochemical marker of myocardial injury, was measured in 46 preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 wk), 26 with RDS and 20 without: median (range) 0.38 (0.02-1.57) μg/L vs 0.13 (0.02 ≤ 0.85) μg/L, respectively. Conclusion: High cTnT concentrations in preterm infants with RDS suggest the presence of myocardial damage in this group of high-risk patients.