Rhabdomyolysis is an uncommon but serious condition when muscles breakdown rapidly. It can have a dangerous effect on the heart and kidneys and can be life threatening if appropriate treatment is not provided in a timely manner.
A rhabdomyolysis diagnosis does not mean a fatal outcome. If appropriate medical advice and care is given before symptoms progress, irreversible heart or kidney damage or failure can be avoided.
Early diagnosis and treatment can be lifesaving.
What are the causes of rhabdomyolysis?
Developing rhabdomyolysis, which is when skeletal muscles start to rapidly breakdown, can be the outcome of a range of causes including, but not limited to, genetic disorders, crush injuries, strenuous exercise over short periods with no rest, and viral or bacterial infections.
It is a condition that can be relatively easily treated to mitigate the risk of a fatal outcome like heart or kidney damage or failure.
It is critical that rhabdo symptoms that are unique to the condition are recognised and treatment started while the underlying cause is investigated.
Failing to diagnose and treat rhabdomyolysis can cause serious issues with a patient’s kidneys or heart that may lead to their premature death.
Notice symptoms of rhabdomyolysis
It is crucial to understand that the cause of rhabdomyolysis does not need to be identified before treatment is provided, it is important to notice the symptoms and start a treatment plan as soon as possible.
The appropriate medical attention should be provided when muscle damage and other obvious signs and symptoms point to this diagnosis. This can be done while the root cause of rhabdomyolysis is being investigated. Unnecessary delays in treatment can prove fatal.
What are the signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis?
The condition means that muscles are breaking down quickly. Muscle weakness, pain or swelling can be a signal that rhabdomyolysis is the likely diagnosis and should not be ignored.
The breakdown of muscles caused by rhabdomyolysis can present in different ways that can be picked up by a combination of a physical examination, to check for muscle weakness, and running blood and urine tests.
A visible symptom of rhabdomyolysis can include very dark urine that can be described as cola or tea coloured. These obvious visible signs should not be ignored.
What happens if you develop rhabdomyolysis?
When muscles breakdown quickly due to an injury, illness or other condition, the muscle components will leak into the blood stream and evidence of muscle breakdown may also be present in the patient’s urine. The following abnormal test results should not be ignored.
Creatine Kinase (CK)
Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme found in muscles. When rhabdomyolysis is present, abnormally high CK levels can be picked up in blood test results.
Myoglobin
Myoglobin is a protein and another component of muscles that may be picked up in blood or urine tests. If there is rapid muscle breakdown it will result in abnormal myoglobin levels being detected.
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral that may also leak from damaged muscles. The key to preventing rhabdomyolysis from escalating into a life threatening condition is early recognition and treatment.
Are rhabdomyolysis symptoms treatable?
Rhabdomyolysis is treatable and does not have to develop into fatal heart or kidney damage or failure. The signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis must be recognised and treated as early as possible.
Unlike many health issues, evidence of rhabdomyolysis can be unambiguous such as heightened CK levels that can be picked up by blood tests, or very dark tea or cola coloured urine.
Excess myoglobin can be picked up by a urine test. Unusual muscle weakness, swelling or pain are other red flag symptoms of rhabdomyolysis that should not be ignored.
How to diagnose rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis symptoms can flare up unexpectedly. A blood test to check the level of CK is a strong indicator that can help with a diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan.
If a patient’s urine is tea or cola coloured, a urine test will identify whether abnormal myoglobin levels are present. This can assist with a diagnosis and the subsequent appropriate treatment of rhabdomyolysis provided.
Developing rhabdomyolysis – who is most at risk?
Although an uncommon health condition, rhabdomyolysis can affect anyone at any age regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Awareness of the symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, and knowledge that it can be fatal without timely and appropriate treatment, can help to mitigate the risks.
Rhabdomyolysis is a treatable condition. It does not have to escalate to catastrophic outcomes if recognised in time, and the correct medical intervention provided.
Are rhabdomyolysis complications preventable?
This muscle wasting illness can occur for a number of different reasons. The causes of rhabdomyolysis can be either an underlying health condition, crush injuries, a viral or bacterial infection, or extreme exercise without rest.
The symptoms of muscle injury leading to rhabdomyolysis can be obvious such as muscle weakness, swelling or pain, abnormal CK levels in the blood, and unusual myoglobin found in the patient’s urine.
Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent kidney failure or catastrophic heart problems. Rhabdomyolysis is life threatening but catastrophic outcomes are preventable.
When test results and physical examinations identify clear symptoms of this illness, timely treatment will avoid life threatening complications.
Legal rights when a rhabdomyolysis related death is suspected as avoidable
The timely diagnosis and treatment of rhabdomyolysis is essential. This mitigates the risk of the illness escalating and becoming life threatening.
If a hospital fails to recognise and treat this muscle wasting condition quickly, and it results in a fatal outcome, a medical negligence claim can be pursued.
A specialist solicitor with experience in this life threatening condition will gather and forensically investigate the medical care provided.
This will strengthen a legal claim against the hospital responsible for the patient’s care.
Instructing the right rhabdomyolysis solicitor for your claim
Realising that the death of a loved one may have been preventable is traumatic and upsetting. Starting the legal process will provide some peace of mind that answers will be found, and justice secured.
An experienced solicitor will work with independent medical experts to investigate your loved one’s medical records to identify what happened and where serious errors in care were made.
The right legal experts will guide you every step of the way to get to the truth of why your loved one died and will prove if their death was avoidable.
Before instructing a solicitor, it is important to read what other clients say about their services and look at their previous cases and outcomes for clients. Starting legal proceedings does not have to feel daunting when you have the right team dealing with your case.