Pathway Background and Objectives
Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome characterized by the breakdown of skeletal muscle leading to the release of intracellular muscle constituents. The most common etiologies in children are viral illnesses, exercise, and trauma. Muscle pain and muscle weakness are the most common presenting complaints in children and very few present with dark urine. Severity can range from mild elevation in muscle enzymes to life threatening disease secondary to electrolyte imbalance and acute kidney injury, or even acute renal failure. While data for pediatric patients with rhabdomyolysis is limited, the mainstays of treatment are prompt fluid resuscitation and minimizing further muscle damage. Currently at Connecticut Children’s no standardized approach exists for the evaluation in the emergency room, admission criteria, inpatient management, discharge criteria, or post-discharge counseling and follow up recommendations for children presenting with rhabdomyolysis.
The objectives of this pathway are to:
- Establish appropriate admission and discharge criteria for rhabdomyolysis
- Standardize inpatient management of rhabdomyolysis
- Decrease the rate of acute renal failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis