May 30, 2008

Tests And Treatments For Rhabdomyolysis

Posted in Category : Bone, Joint & Muscles Disorders

Rhabdomyolysis is the disease in which skeletal muscles are damaged and they start deteriorating after sometime. Their deterioration releases such substances in the body, which can be toxic. These toxic substances can affect several organs and parts of the body, which can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and cure it as early as possible.

Prior to the tests, the diagnosis for rhabdomyolysis would include considering possibility in the patient. As it arises due to damage to the skeletal muscles, the people who have undergone some damage to muscles are among the prone ones. On the other hand, abnormal color of urine, commonly pink-red, also is an indication that the person may have developed rhabdomyolysis.

The common test for rhabdomyolysis is the creatine kinase test. It is an enzyme, which is released in the body when the muscles are damaged. During the tests, its levels in the blood are tested. In the patients of rhabdomyolysis, the levels are higher than the normal. In some cases, the levels go as high as five times as the normal. Apart from testing the creatine kinase testing the potassium and calcium levels also is useful. Commonly it has been observed that the potassium level is increased while the calcium level is decreased in the patient. Troponin levels also increase in most of the cases and therefore testing it is beneficial.

Treatment of rhabdomyolysis is possible only during the initial stages as later the important organs of the body prominently kidneys are affected. One of the treatments called fluid therapy is used for curing shock, which can seriously affect the kidneys. Small amounts of intravenous fluids are administered to the patient. Commonly saline of about 0.9% NaCl solution is administered.

The fluid therapy is advised to the people who have undergone serious injuries to the muscles. This is because it also helps in avoiding the swelling in the muscles. In this case, the fluid therapy mainly restores the blood supply to the muscles and thus helps them to be repaired. Moreover, it also prevents the deposition of myogblogin in the kidneys and thus it prevents the kidneys from being damaged.

Some other drugs, which regulate the urine production, are useful for controlling rhabdomyolysis. Mannitol, furosemide, etc, are used for this purpose. Moreover, rhabdomyolysis affects the concentrations of different electrolytes in the body and therefore the treatment will involve correcting them as well. Concentration of the electrolyte as calcium, Potassium, sodium, etc, requires correction.