Sarker MS. Rhabdomyolysis-related acute kidney injury in COVID-19: A critical concern. World J Virol 2025; 14(1): 100160 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i1.100160]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Md Safiullah Sarker, PhD, Research Scientist, Virology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. ssarker@icddrb.org
Research Domain of This Article
Virology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Author contributions: Sarker MS designed and conceptualized the study, performed data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation, drafted the first version of the manuscript, commented on consecutive versions, and approved the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Received: August 8, 2024 Revised: September 24, 2024 Accepted: October 15, 2024 Published online: March 25, 2025 Processing time: 111 Days and 16.2 Hours
Abstract
Rhabdomyolysis is a severe condition characterized by the breakdown of muscle tissue leading to the release of intracellular components into the bloodstream. This condition, when associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), can result in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This editorial discusses a retrospective study on patients with COVID-19 who developed rhabdomyolysis-related AKI. The study highlights that patients with rhabdomyolysis exhibited higher inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein, ferritin, and procalcitonin, and experienced worse clinical outcomes compared to those with other causes of AKI. The findings underscore the importance of early recognition and management of rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 patients to improve prognosis and reduce mortality rates.
Core Tip: Rhabdomyolysis is a significant complication in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, leading to severe acute kidney injury (AKI) with high mortality rates. This editorial highlight a study that found higher inflammatory markers and worse outcomes in patients with rhabdomyolysis-related AKI compared to other causes of AKI. Early detection and appropriate management are crucial to mitigate the adverse effects of this condition in the context of COVID-19.
