Rhabdomyolysis with and without acute renal failure in patients with phencyclidine intoxication

Rhabdomyolysis occurred in 25 of 1,000 patients (2.5%) with phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication. 10 of these 25 patients (40%) developed acute renal failure and another 7 had mild impairment in renal function. Marked hyperuricemia was present in all 17 patients, and marked hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia were noted in the 10 patients with acute renal failure; 3 of the latter developed hypercalcemia during the diuretic phase of the illness. Fever, tachycardia and hypertension were frequent findings among the 25 patients with rhabdomyolysis and all had leukocytosis. The data show that rhabdomyolysis with and without acute renal failure is not infrequent among abusers of PCP.