Library · Disease
Rhabdomyolysis
Make it clearer
Rhabdomyolysis is what happens when muscle tissue, the flesh that moves the body, breaks down and dies fast. A muscle keeps things inside its cells that are not normally loose: proteins and electrolytes, which are the mineral salts dissolved in the body. When the muscle breaks apart, all of that empties into the blood, like a bag bursting inside a bucket of water and spreading everything it was holding through the water.
And blood goes everywhere, so what came out of the muscle ends up reaching other organs. The proteins can injure the kidneys, and the electrolytes, once they are thrown off, can set off serious complications. Rhabdomyolysis does not come out of nowhere either: it is tied to heat, to very intense physical exertion, to trauma or hard blows, to infections, and to certain drugs and medications.
In brief
Rhabdomyolysis is a process in which muscle tissue rapidly breaks down and dies.
Damaged muscle releases proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream. From there, they can travel to other organs: the released proteins can injure the kidneys, and electrolyte disturbances can cause serious complications.
Heat, intense exertion, trauma, infections, certain medications, and other drugs are among the factors associated with rhabdomyolysis.
Sources (3)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / NIOSHHeat-related Illnesses
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / NIOSHRhabdomyolysis and Work
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / NIOSHRisk Factors for Rhabdomyolysis
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated