Rhabdomyolysis overview

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ayesha Javid, MBBS [2]

Overview

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome characterized by skeletal muscle necrosis and the release of intracellular muscle contents, such as myoglobin and electrolytes, into the blood circulation.^[1]

Causes

The causes can be divided into 3 categories:^[2]^[3]^[4]

Traumatic or muscle compression.
Nontraumatic exertional.
Nontraumatic non-exertional.

Causes of Rhabdomyolysis

Traumatic

Atraumatic

C01

C02

C03

Diagnosis

Physical Examination

A physical usually reveals no abnormalities, but there may be tenderness, weakness, or atrophy.

Electrocardiogram

The EKG can show non specific ST T wave changes and T wave inversions. Despite the very high level of CK, the criteria for MI requires a 5% MB index (may vary by assay and gender).

References

↑ Bagley WH, Yang H, Shah KH (2007). “Rhabdomyolysis”. Intern Emerg Med. 2 (3): 210–8. doi:10.1007/s11739-007-0060-8. PMID 17909702 PMID: 17909702 Check |pmid= value (help).
↑ Gabow PA, Kaehny WD, Kelleher SP (1982). “The spectrum of rhabdomyolysis”. Medicine (Baltimore). 61 (3): 141–52. doi:10.1097/00005792-198205000-00002. PMID 7078398 PMID: 7078398 Check |pmid= value (help).
↑ Melli G, Chaudhry V, Cornblath DR (2005). “Rhabdomyolysis: an evaluation of 475 hospitalized patients”. Medicine (Baltimore). 84 (6): 377–85. doi:10.1097/01.md.0000188565.48918.41. PMID 16267412 PMID: 16267412 Check |pmid= value (help).
↑ Torres PA, Helmstetter JA, Kaye AM, Kaye AD (2015). “Rhabdomyolysis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment”. Ochsner J. 15 (1): 58–69. PMC 4365849. PMID 25829882 PMID: 25829882 Check |pmid= value (help).

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[pmidPMID:_17909702-1] Bagley WH, Yang H, Shah KH (2007). “Rhabdomyolysis”. Intern Emerg Med. 2 (3): 210–8. doi:10.1007/s11739-007-0060-8. PMID 17909702 PMID: 17909702 Check |pmid= value (help).

[pmidPMID:_7078398-2] Gabow PA, Kaehny WD, Kelleher SP (1982). “The spectrum of rhabdomyolysis”. Medicine (Baltimore). 61 (3): 141–52. doi:10.1097/00005792-198205000-00002. PMID 7078398 PMID: 7078398 Check |pmid= value (help).

[pmidPMID:_16267412-3] Melli G, Chaudhry V, Cornblath DR (2005). “Rhabdomyolysis: an evaluation of 475 hospitalized patients”. Medicine (Baltimore). 84 (6): 377–85. doi:10.1097/01.md.0000188565.48918.41. PMID 16267412 PMID: 16267412 Check |pmid= value (help).

[pmidPMID:_25829882-4] Torres PA, Helmstetter JA, Kaye AM, Kaye AD (2015). “Rhabdomyolysis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment”. Ochsner J. 15 (1): 58–69. PMC 4365849. PMID 25829882 PMID: 25829882 Check |pmid= value (help).

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