Cocaine and rhabdomyolysis: report of a case and review of the literature

ABSTRACT

Cocaine abuse is associated with a constellation of serious medical complications. An unrecognized and recently described complication of cocaine use is rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure. We describe the first patient identified in our institution with this entity, admitted to the medical services with oliguric acute renal failure. Three days prior to admission the patient had a cocaine snorting binge. He presented with bilateral flank pain, gross hematuria, vomiting and chills. No history of crush injury, prolonged immobilization and or seizures was reported. On admission the vital signs were normal, physical exam revealed periorbital edema and marked soft tissue neck swelling. Lab values Bun 120 mgs%, Creat. 10.7 mgs%, Na 132 meq/lt, Co2 13mq/lt, Cl, 103meq/lt, Co2 13meq/lt, Ca5.3 mgs%, CPK 30,800 U/L with a MM fraction of 98%, LDH 600 U/L, SGOT 300 U/L. The urine was dark red with a ph of 6.5 and 100 rbc/hpf. The anti-GBM antibody and blood cultures were negative. An abdominal sonogram was normal. He received peritoneal dialysis and was discharged on his 14th hospital day with a CPK of 2,800 U/L and decreasing azotemia. Cocaine associated rhabdomyolysis has only been recently described in the literature (AJM April, 88). Acute myoglobinuric renal failure needs to be added to the growing list of medical complications of cocaine use