Elif Yıldırım1, Beyza Kaymaz1, Hatice Dörtler1, Sümeyye Ebrar Üstündağ1, Ayşenur Akdeniz1, Oytun Erbaş2

1Biruni Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencisi, İstanbul, Türkiye
2İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fizyoloji Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul, Türkiye

Keywords: Acute tubular necrosis; crush; earthquake; hyperkalemia; rhabdomyolysis; trauma

Abstract

Crush syndrome, otherwise known as traumatic rhabdomyolysis, is a systemic condition that occurs after sudden and rapidly developed muscle damage. Crush syndrome is caused by traumatic events affecting the muscle such as earthquake, sunstroke, heavy exercise, and blunt injuries. Hyperkalemia and acute tubular necrosis are the main causes of mortality caused by this syndrome. Patients with suspected crush syndrome should be administered potassium-free, preferably 0.9% intravenous NaCl as soon as possible.