Relationship Between Rhabdomyolysis and SARS-CoV-2 Disease Severity

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Nephrology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Rhabdomyolysis is a known complication of viral infections, with influenza A being common.
• COVID-19 patients are at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), with rhabdomyolysis as a potential contributing factor.
• Understanding COVID-19's impact on kidney function is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between COVID-19 infection and rhabdomyolysis using creatine kinase (CK) levels.
• To determine if rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 patients correlates with increased ICU admission, length of stay (LOS), and mortality.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study of 984 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection.
• Collected demographic, laboratory, and clinical outcome data.
• Analyzed the incidence of rhabdomyolysis and its association with AKI, ICU admission, LOS, and mortality using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Rhabdomyolysis was diagnosed in 4% of COVID-19 patients (39 out of 984).
• The incidence of rhabdomyolysis was significantly higher in patients with AKI (38.3%) and those admitted to the ICU (53.8%).
• Patients with rhabdomyolysis had a significantly longer mean hospital stay (18.2 days) compared to those without (9.8 days).

Conclusions:

• Creatine kinase (CK) monitoring is valuable for diagnosing rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 patients.
• Identifying rhabdomyolysis can help in understanding AKI etiology and predicting patient prognosis.
• Early detection of rhabdomyolysis may guide more intensive treatment strategies for COVID-19 patients.