Prevalence of rhabdomyolysis in hospitalized patients in toxicology ward, Sina Hospital, Tabriz, Iran

Poisoning is a common cause of hospitalization in young individuals that can lead to rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome fallowing rupture of plasma membrane of skeletal muscle cells and release of cellular contents into plasma. The classic triad of rhabdomyolysis includes myalgia, muscle weakness and teacolored urine secondary to myoglobinuria. Rhabdomyolysis is defined as increase in Creatine phosphokinase(CPK) to five times above the upper limit of normal. According to high prevalence of poisoning in young adults and risk of rhabdomyolysis complications, timely diagnosis and treatment of rhabdomyolysis is necessary to prevent mortality and morbidity. To study the prevalence of rhabdomyolysis in poisoned patients. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study on 400 patients who were randomly selected among hospitalized patients in toxicology ward of Sina hospital. Required information was derived from the patients’ medical records and recorded in designed questionnaires and finally, data were analyzed via SPSS 16. Among 400 patients, 24(6%) had CPK>1000U/L and 3(12.5%) developed renal failure (2.75% of total participants). Prevalence of myoglobinuria was reported 9%, myalgia 2.5%, muscle weakness 4%. Mortality rate in studied patients was 1%. Significant correlation was found between increased CPK with creatinine, liver enzymes, fever and duration of hospitalization but the classic triad of rhobdomyolysis was negative in many patients in this study.