Rhabdomyolysis: report of eleven cases

This article reports the results of a retrospective study of 11 patients with rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure. All patients had multiple risk factors for rhabdomyolysis, the most common of which were alcoholism, illicit drug abuse, compression, and trauma. Patients with combined alcohol/illicit drug abuse had more severe electrolyte imbalances than patients without alcohol/illicit drug abuse. Myoglobinuria was detected in only half the patients despite rhabdomyolysis and urine "hematest" positivity. The serum creatine phosphokinase level was elevated in all of the patients, which is a good marker for rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a relatively common disorder in municipal hospitals. Routine serum creatine phosphokinase levels should be checked on patients at risk, especially alcoholics, illicit drug abusers, and older patients.