Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is characterized by a variety of symptoms, which can vary greatly depending on the cause of the disease. Usually, rhabdomyolysis is initially accompanied by muscle pain. If the muscles are severely disintegrated, the first symptom is muscle weakness, later on a complete loss of strength of the affected muscle group can occur.

If the cause of rhabdomyolysis is a traumatic event, accompanying injuries are usually also present. Thus, even non-affected muscle groups may have suffered a contusion or torn muscle fiber. Injuries to other structures such as bones, ligaments, joints, etc.

are also possible. An atraumatic cause, such as poisoning, can lead to symptoms such as electrolyte disorders, fever, nausea, vomiting, clouding of consciousness up to intoxication or unconsciousness. Due to the high content of muscle proteins (myoglobin) in the urine, a temporary red coloration of the urine can occur, this symptom is called myoglobinuria. If kidney damage occurs as a result, excessive or reduced urination can be further symptoms.

The diagnosis

The diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis is initially made clinically. In this way, the physician in charge determines the symptoms of the affected person in a conversation. Most noticeable are muscle pain, loss of strength and possibly the red color of the urine.In addition, the examination of the blood and urine is groundbreaking, as here the individual muscle components are washed into the blood by the decomposition of the muscles.

From there they must be excreted in the urine. In the case of acute kidney failure, water retention can also be observed in the physical examination. In rhabdomyolysis, various substances are examined in a laboratory analysis.

As the muscles break down, the individual muscle components enter the bloodstream. For this reason, the values of muscle enzymes, myoglobin (muscle protein) and electrolytes are checked in the blood. The LDH is also checked, as it is an important sign of cell decay.

These substances are then filtered out of the blood and excreted in the urine, so these values can also be detected in the urine. In particular, the presence of myoglobin in the urine is a strong indication of rhabdomyolysis. In order to detect kidney damage in time, laboratory values for the kidney are also measured from the blood and urine.

The blood count
The urine examination