Rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and death after monensin ingestion

Am J Kidney Dis. 2001 Nov;38(5):1108-12. doi: 10.1053/ajkd.2001.28618.

Abstract

We report a case of human monensin intoxication; to our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the medical literature. The patient took a dose of monensin three times higher than a dose considered lethal for cattle and developed a clinical picture similar to that reported in veterinary medicine. There was an early and extremely severe rhabdomyolysis followed by acute renal failure, heart failure, and death. The main changes observed at autopsy were extensive skeletal muscle necrosis, complement deposition at the myocardial level, pulmonary edema, and acute tubular damage.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / chemically induced*
  • Acute Kidney Injury / pathology
  • Adolescent
  • Complement C9 / analysis
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Ionophores / adverse effects*
  • Kidney / chemistry
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Male
  • Monensin / adverse effects*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Myocardium / chemistry
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Myoglobin / analysis
  • Rhabdomyolysis / chemically induced*
  • Rhabdomyolysis / pathology

Substances

  • Complement C9
  • Ionophores
  • Myoglobin
  • Monensin