Rhabdomyolysis in Falciparum Malaria with Acute Renal Failure.

Acute renal failure is an important complication of falciparum malaria. Though rhabdomyolysis has been reported in falciparum malaria occasionally, its role in the causation of acute renal failure in malaria has not been investigated. Therefore, we have undertaken this research to study skeletal involvement in malaria and to correlate it to acute renal failure. Material and Methods: Sixty patients of malaria were included in this study. Of them there were 23 (38.3%) patients of cerebral malaria with renal failure (Group A), 15 (25.0%) patients with cerebral malaria without renal failure (Group B), and 22 (36.6%) patients of uncomplicated malaria (Group C). The diagnosis of malaria was done by Giemsa stained peripheral blood smear or QBC. All patients were subjected to detailed investigations. In addition serum creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin (Mb) levels were estimated. Muscle biopsy was performed in 10 cases and tissue specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin stain. Results: The mean serum CK level (IU/L) in Group A, Group B and Group C were 406.8 ± 290.8 IU/L, 127.4 ± 112.1 IU/L, 110.4 ± 99.0 IU/L respectively. The mean serum Mb level (ng/ml) in Group A, Group B and Group C were 344.6 ± 260.1 ng/ml, 103.9 ± 97.0 ng/ml and 45.9 ± 45.4 ng/ml respectively. Serum Mb concentration was significantly high in cerebral malaria with renal failure. Significant correlation had been observed between serum CK and Mb level (r = 0.71 for 60 patents; p = <0.001; 95% Cl = 0.55 to 0.82). Serum CK correlated well with parasitemia (r = 0.56, p<0.001).There was a significant correlation between serum Mb concentration with the simultaneous serum creatinine level (r = 0.46; p value = 0.001). There was significant association observed between muscle injury and renal failure (Chi square =6.72, p = 0.01). There was no evidence of muscle necrosis in any of the biopsy specimens examined. Conclusion: The present study showed that biochemical evidence of muscle injury was found in patients of falciparum malaria with renal failure. Therefore myoglobin may have a pathogenetic role in malarial acute renal failure.

Incidence, Etiology, and Outcomes of Rhabdomyolysis in a Single Tertiary Referral Center

We have encountered numerous cases of rhabdomyolysis associated with acute pesticide intoxication; however, the cause, incidence, and treatment outcomes of rhabdomyolysis have not been studied. The current study involved 2,125 patients hospitalized with acute chemical poisoning. Based on clinical and laboratory parameters and treatment outcomes, we found that overall incidence of rhabdomyolysis in our hospital was 0.06% (93 of 143,830 patients admitted), but the incidence associated with acute pesticide intoxication was 1.8% (33 of 1,793 cases). The incidence of rhabdomyolysis after pesticide intoxication was significantly higher in men than in women (P = 0.010). The amount of pesticide ingested was significantly higher in rhabdomyolysis patients than that in those who did not develop rhabdomyolysis (mean +/- SD, 114.1 +/- 79.5 mL vs 74.1 +/- 94.2 mL, P = 0.010). Our results show that pesticide intoxication is a frequent cause of rhabdomyolysis and is more common among men than women. The volume of pesticide ingested, and not the degree of human toxicity, is the main factor influencing the incidence of rhabdomyolysis.

Rabdomiólisis por ejercicio / Exercise-induced rhabdomyolisis

Las causas de rabdomiólisis suelen dividirse en traumáticas (por trauma directo o compresión) y no traumáticas; en este último grupo se engloban las relacionadas con el ejercicio.

Acute renal failure in severe exertional rhabdomyolysis.

During the last 6 years, 7 healthy individuals who were reasonably well acclimatised to physical exertion came under observation with acute renal failure due to exercise induced myoglobinuria. Their mean age was 20 years, and renal failure resulted after cross country run of 10-15 km in 6 cases and long route march of 90 km in 3 days in one case. There was no evidence of effects of heat, dehydration or hypotension. Apart from myoglobinuria and significant urinary sediments, serum aldolase (mean 69.0 SL u/ml) and serum creatinine phosphokinase (mean 120.0 Sigma u/ml) were also elevated. Maximum blood urea and creatinine were 224 mg/dl and 13.9 mg/dl respectively. Hypocalcaemia was noticed in 3 cases, hyperkalaemia in 4 cases and hyperuricaemia in one case during the oliguric phase. One case had features of non-oliguric acute renal failure. All cases recovered though 4 cases required dialysis support. Kidney biopsy in 3 cases showed recovering acute tubular necrosis with eosinophilic material in tubules. Lactate studies in the convalescent period revealed normal response and repeat physical exertion of same severity after 6 months did not reproduce the syndrome. It is concluded that exertional rhabdomyolysis unassociated with heat stress is a rare entity, and with prompt diagnosis and energic management results are rewarding.