Table 1.

Main causes of rhabdomyolysis

Muscle injury or extreme exertion	Trauma, crush syndrome, prolonged hours without changing position, physical torture, hypothermia, hyperthermia, seizures, delirium tremens, overexertion, compromise of major vessels leading to muscle ischemia (surgery, compartment syndrome), electric shock (e.g. from cardioversion, lightning, high-voltage electrical injury)
Toxic exposures and substances of abuse	Alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, lysergic acid diethylamide, heroin, methadone, phencyclidine, isopropyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, toluene, quail that feed on hemlock, buffalo fish, mushrooms, pesticides, heavy metals, snake or insect bites, wasp stings
Medications	Antipsychotic medications that may trigger the neuroleptic malignant syndrome: (e.g. clozapine), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antihistamines (e.g. diphenhydramine), anti-retrovirals (tenofovir, raltegravir), interferon alpha, pentamidine, amphotericin B, azathioprine, penicillamine, colchicine, quinidine, terbutaline, theophylline, daptomycin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, succinylcholine, strychnine, vasopressin, abuse of laxatives or diuretics (e.g. thiazides), paracetamol or salicylate overdose, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in individuals with important risk factors or in association to other medications
Metabolic and electrolyte disturbances	Hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, hypo-/hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar states, infection (e.g. infectious mononucleosis, tetanus, legionnaire’s disease, coxsackievirus, malaria, HIV), inherited or acquired renal tubular dysfunction
Endocrine disease	Diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, primary hyperaldosteronism, primary adrenal insufficiency, central diabetes insipidus, postpartum hypernatremia, pituitary dysfunction
Autoimmune disease	Polymyositis, dermatomyositis
Inherited metabolic myopathy	Disorders of glycogen metabolism e.g. phosphorylase deficiency, McArdle disease Disorders of fatty acid oxidation: e.g. carnitine palmitoyl-transferase II deficiency Mitochondrial disorders: e.g. coenzyme Q10 deficiency Structural myopathies: dystrophinopathy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2I, dysferlinopathy, anoctamin-5 myopathy, sarcoglycanopathy, fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy Channelopathies: RYR1 gene mutations, SCN4A gene mutation Lipin-1 gene mutations Adenosine monophosphate deaminase deficiency
Other conditions	Sickle-cell disease, benign exertional rhabdomyolysis