Causes of Rhabdomyolysis
Multiple factors have been associated with rhabdomyolysis.
Fever can be present as well.
How Rhabdomyolysis Affects the Kidney
Rhabdomyolysis impacts kidney function in multiple ways.
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This by itself is sometimes enough to cause a severe decline in kidney function, often calledacute kidney injury.
Myoglobin is a protein found in the muscles.
This could lead to kidney failure.
In worst case situations, rhabdomyolysis-induced kidney failure because of myoglobinuria can lead toirreversible kidney failure requiring long-term dialysis.
Some more specific symptoms would include cola-colored urine.
Kidney failure may be apparent on the blood test as well, with elevated creatinine levels.
Aurine testmight show the presence of myoglobin, the abnormal protein released into the urine from muscle breakdown.
For many years, alkalinizing the urine with sodium bicarbonate and mannitol has been the standard of care.
However, its superiority over other intravenous fluids like normal saline has never been emphatically proven.
The treating doctor will trend your kidney function while you are on the intravenous fluids.
In some patients, however, the kidneys can develop injury to the point where dialysis might become necessary.
Remember, dialysis is a supportive therapy.
It does not treat the kidney failure per se; it only replaces the kidney function.
Rarely, the patient could become dialysis-dependent for life.
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