Acute rhabdomyolysis associated with cocaine intoxication: a case report

Over thirty million Americans are estimated to have tried cocaine at least once and 5 million use it on a regular basis. Recent media attention to the widespread use of cocaine has revealed the growing life-threatening complications that accompany its use. The effects of cocaine on the cardiovascular, pulmonary and central nervous system have been well-described in medical literature, but the complications of acute renal failure secondary to cocaine-induced rhabdomyolysis only recently have been addressed. Presented in this article is a case involving cocaine-induced acute renal failure.