Rhabdomyolysis in community acquired bacterial sepsis--a retrospective cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
Rhabdomyolysis is often associated with sepsis and gram positive bacterial pathogens are reported to be the most frequent cause of sepsis induced rhabdomyolysis. We report the pattern of infecting bacterial pathogens and associated causal factors in a South-Indian cohort. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS #ENTITYSTARTX00026;


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of adult patients with community acquired bacterial sepsis complicated by rhabdomyolysis from March 2003--August 2008. Rhabdomyolysis was defined as serum creatine kinase >2000 IU/L. The study population was divided into group-I (sepsis with gram positive pathogens), group-II (sepsis with gram negative pathogens) and group-III (culture negative sepsis).


RESULTS
103 patients (group I -15, group II- 34 and group III- 54) formed the study cohort. Mean age was 55 years and two-third had diabetes. Mean creatine kinase was 7114 IU/L and mean serum creatinine on admission was 2.4 mg/dl. Causative pathogen of sepsis was identified in 47.5%. Gram negative pathogens were more frequently (33%) associated with rhabdomyolysis than gram positive pathogens (14.5%). Lung was the commonest foci of sepsis (38.8%). 78.6% of the study population had one or more additional causal factor for rhabdomyolysis like statin intake, chronic alcoholism, hypokalemia, hypernatremia and hypophosphatemia. Mortality was 59%.


CONCLUSIONS
Gram negative bacterial pathogens were more frequently associated with rhabdomyolysis than gram positive pathogens. Rhabdomyolysis in patients with sepsis is multifactorial and is associated with high mortality.
Department of General Medicine, Sri Ramachandra University, Tamilnadu, Chennai, India.
Anita A
AA
Kumar
Emmanuel
E
Bhaskar
Ghanshyam
G
Palamaner Subash Shantha
Porchelvan
P
Swaminathan
Georgi
G
Abraham
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*
D003402:Creatine Kinase