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.
The muscle damage may be caused by:
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
Common problems are:
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
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:
The underlying cause will need to be treated. Choices are:
There are no known guidelines to prevent this health problem.
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
https://familydoctor.org
National Kidney Foundation
https://www.kidney.org
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
https://www.kidney.ca
Rhabdomyolysis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/rhabdomyolysis. Accessed November 30, 2020.
Torres PA, Helmstetter JA, Kaye AM, Kaye AD. Rhabdomyolysis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Ochsner J. 2015;15(1):58-69.
Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Marcin Chwistek, MD Last Updated: 4/23/2021
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.