Rhabdomyolysis following electrical injury

Severe electrical injury is often associated with acute rhabdomyolysis, evident from massively elevated serum creatine (CK) levels, along with presence of other muscle fiber constituents in the serum and urine, resulting specifically in hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and myoglobinuria. The acute medical care of the patient with electrical injury must include addressing supportive therapy for the rhabdomyolysis (more fully reviewed in other articles in this issue of Seminars), but understanding the underlying pathophysiology of rhabdomyolysis may allow for the future development of improved therapeutic modalities.