How to Treat Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition following a muscle injury that causes skeletal muscle cells to start dying. These muscles are in the legs and arms. When they die or become injured, they release various substances into the blood stream such as potassium, myoglobin, creatine kinase and phosphate. High levels of potassium in the blood can be very harmful to the heart, and myoglobin can harm the kidneys. There are several treatment options for Rhabdomyolysis.

Instructions

• 1

  Treat Rhabdomyolysis by intravenous (IV) hydration. Fluids are sent through the tube via IV to hydrate the area. This must be done as soon as possible for the best treatment. If you have any symptoms of Rhadomyolysis such as dark urine, blood in the urine, nausea, bruised muscles, vomiting, being easily irritable or confused, trouble breathing and/or a fast heartbeat, you need to go to the hospital for IV treatment.

• 2

  Flushing out the potassium and myoglobin in the blood cannot always be done by IV fluids alone. Often, medications are added to the IV such as sodium carbonate and/or a diuretic. The sodium carbonate will reduce the acid in the urine and help protect the kidneys from the harmful effects of myoglobin. Diuretics will help flush out the myoglobin.

• 3

  Blood transfusion for Rhabdomyolysis will be necessary if the IV fluids and medications of diuretics and sodium carbonate do not work. The blood transfusion could be complete (all of your blood replaced with new blood) or in part. The new blood will not have any extra substances (such as myoglobin and potassium) in it and will help your body heal.

• 4

  Dialysis will help clean the blood when the kidneys stop working. A dialysis machine filters out any harmful substances (just like your kidneys do) and returns the clean blood to your body. This step is usually not necessary, but can happen if you do not get to the hospital early enough.

• 5

  Surgery is the last resort treatment for Rhabdomyolysis. If nothing else works, surgery will be considered. The surgery for Rhabdomyolysis is called fasciotomy and it will help relieve any pressure on nerves or blood vessels by the injured muscle. In fasciotomy, a surgeon will remove some tissue to relieve the pressure.