A potentially
fatal muscle condition known as “exertional rhabdomyolysis”
is more prevalent than commonly thought. This was the message E. Randy
Eichner, MD, presented to attendees of the 12th Annual Meeting of the
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine held last week in San Diego.
Dr. Eichner presented to attendees of the 12th Annual Meeting of the
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine held last week in San Diego.
Dr. Eichner presented several cases, including 14-year old Kourtni Livingston,
who had sickle cell trait and died of a fulminant form of rhabdomyolysis,
from sickling during running laps – on the first day of basketball
practice at her Texas high school. Exertional rhabdomyolysis is the
breakdown of muscle that may result from a variety of causes in combination
with exercise, including heat exposure, illness, dehydration, and use
of stimulants or of certain cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Rhabdomyolysis is often viewed as a serious condition possibly affecting
the kidneys and in fulminant cases, even the heart. However, Dr. Eichner
noted that many case reports, as well as studies performed in athletes,
military, and police cadets, indicate that milder cases are now being
identified, some of which can be managed outside the hospital with fluids
and rest. Symptoms include muscle soreness, weakness and brown urine.
He noted that rhabdomyolysis is largely preventable using a “common
sense” approach to exercise. This includes gradually increasing
training levels, avoiding exercise when sick or dehydrated, and avoiding
use of stimulants, such as ephedrine. Dr. Eichner is a team physician
for the University of Oklahoma, and a founding member of the AMSSM.
The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) was organized
in 1991 by a group of physicians who recognized the need for an organization
within the field of sports medicine that approached athletes, exercising
individuals, and teams comprehensively with consultative and continuous
care of their orthopedic, medical, nutritional, and psychosocial issues.
Although sports medicine concepts are often thought of in conjunction
with professional and elite athletes, these concepts apply to athletes
of all levels including grade school, high school, college and recreational
athletes (“weekend athletes”). AMSSM is comprised of Sports
Medicine Physicians whose goal is to provide a link between the rapidly
expanding core of knowledge related to sports medicine and its application
to patients in a clinical setting.
NOTE: For more information, please contact the AMSSM, 11639
Earnshaw, Overland Park, KS 66210, (913) 327-1415 or
.
