What Causes Rhabdomyolysis?

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition that can occur in diabetes patients. It occurs when the body begins breaking down fat deposits at extremely accelerated rates. The liver turns the fat into ketones, a chemical that turns the blood acidic. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when an individual's insulin is so low that sugar can't be used as food for cells. This leads to the liver producing massive amounts of blood sugar. Since the body isn't taking in energy from food, it breaks down fat storages for energy at too-rapid rates. By itself, diabetic ketoacidosis can be life-threatening. But coupled with rhabdomyolysis, it can truly devastate an individual's body. Rhabdomyolysis occurs in diabetic ketoacidosis patients when the body breaks down muscle fibers in addition to fat storages. Alternatively, muscle fibers may die because they aren't getting an energy supply. They release chemicals into the bloodstream, which, in diabetic ketoacidosis patients, has already become acidic. Other serious metabolic disorders can cause rhabdomyolysis when they cause muscle cells to break down or die.

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Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections can cause a huge range of symptoms depending on the type of infection, the part of the body infected, and how long the infection has gone on. When a bacterial infection causes toxins to accumulate in the bloodstream or an individual's tissues, it can cause rhabdomyolysis. There have been cases reported where a localized bacterial infection in a muscle led to the condition when the muscle fibers broke down and released toxins. The most commonly associated bacteria are Legionella, which have caused most reported bacteria-caused rhabdomyolysis cases. It's also important to note other infections can cause the condition as well, such as some viral infections. The most common ones are influenza A and B. There have also been cases of the condition developing due to HIV, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, West Nile virus, varicella-zoster virus, and other viruses.

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