Hyperkalemia in a patient with rhabdomyolysis and compartment syndrome

Abstract

Rhabdomyolysis is a life-threatening syndrome caused by skeletal muscle injury, which results in the leakage of myoglobin, other intracellular proteins and electrolytes into the circulatory system and urine. Acute kidney injury occurs in 13-50% of patients with rhabdomyolysis, which is the principal cause of their mortality. This is to report an emergency operation performed on a patient with traumatic rhabdomyolysis and compartment syndrome who developed life-threatening hyperkalemia caused by reperfusion injury after vascular anastomosis. The patient was treated with intravascular volume expansion, sodium bicarbonate, diuretics, insulin and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, but the patient expired 5 days after the operation. Copyright © 2010 Korean Society of Anesthesiologists.