Volume 9, Issue 10: Exertional Rhabdomyolysis

Exertional Rhabdomyolysis – erm, you really should be careful about those intense workouts!

You have just started your shift in high spirits when the first call comes through – the information is fairly vague… a 28-year-old male patient, who has been found on the floor at home and is unable to get up. On arrival you find Toby, who is morbidly obese and in a very bad way – where to begin?

CPD Benefit

Rhabdomyolysis is a complex and relatively poorly understood life-threatening syndrome that is usually associated with physical damage to skeletal muscle tissue. This article describes the general features of the condition and discusses some of the causes of rhabdomyolysis (as well as associated pathologies and complications) most frequently encountered by paramedics. It will help you arrive at a working diagnosis, assess the need for treatment in accordance with practice guidelines and identify if rapid transfer to an appropriate definitive care centre is needed.  

Assessment Answers and References

You can check your answers to the quiz and download the references for this article by clicking the links below:

Standby CPD – Vol. 9 No. 10 – References

Standby CPD Volume 9 – Assessment Answers