Definition

Rhabdomyolysis is a breakdown of muscle tissue. This causes a protein called myoglobin to be released into the bloodstream. These proteins can cause severe damage to the kidneys.

Causes

The muscle damage may be caused by:

• Excessive muscle activity
• Certain muscle diseases
• Severe muscle injuries such as a crush injury
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Uncontrolled seizure disorder
• Body is too cold—hypothermia
• Body is too hot—heat stroke
• Electrical burns
• Poison from a snake or spider bite
• Prior surgery with large, muscle incisions—rare

Risk Factors

Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:

• Extreme activity, such as running a marathon
• Heat stroke
• Use of some prescription drugs
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Severe seizures

Symptoms

Common problems are:

• Urine that is brown or red in color
• Muscle pain, weakness, or swelling
• Back pain
• Nausea or vomiting

Anatomy of the Kidney

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Diagnosis

You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. This may be enough to suspect the diagnosis.

The diagnosis can be confirmed with:

• Blood tests to look for signs of muscle damage
• Urine tests to look for myoglobin

Treatment

The underlying cause will need to be treated. Choices are:

• IV fluids to flush the protein out of the kidneys
• Bicarbonate medicine to minimize the effect of the protein
• Dialysis to filter blood when the kidneys are not working well

Prevention

There are no known guidelines to prevent this health problem.