Clinical evaluation of pneumonia-associated rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure

This study aims to evaluate the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment efficacy in patients with pneumonia-associated rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. The subjects included six patients who had presented with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure due to bacterial or viral pneumonia on admission to our university hospital and the Yokohama Social Insurance Central Hospital between 2004 and 2005. The causative organisms were identified as Legionella pneumophila (N = 1), Staphylococcus epidermidis (N = 2), Staphylococcus aureus (N = 1), and Unknown (N = 2). For anuric or oliguric patients (N = 4), a blood purification therapy was performed, while conservative therapy was administered to those with a normal urine volume (N = 2). The patient suffering from L. pneumophila pneumonia did not survive, while the other patients regained full kidney function. It is important to identify, evaluate, and treat patients with bacterial or viral pneumonia-associated rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.