What the Heck is RHABDO?
Rhabdomyolysis: the breakdown of muscles due to trauma and the potential fatal consequences. This session will talk about what “Rhado” is, where it comes from, how to identify it, and how to treat it in the pre-hospital setting. From fall patients who’ve been on the floor for a while to suspension injuries to inmates at prisons – it’s more common than one might think, and you’ll see it as an EMS provider. Will you know it when you see it? We discuss some case studies to illustrate how benign it might seem, but how lethal it can be. Designed for First Responders all the way to Paramedics, we’ll shed light on a condition which often lurks in the shadows.
Objectives:
- Define Rhabdomyolysis, and what creates this condition in the body
- List mechanisms of injury, as well as signs and symptoms of “Rhabdo” in order to more quickly identify it in the field.
- Create a working knowledge of treatments for Rhabdo at the BLS through ALS level, in order to increase the chances of survival for pre-hospital Rhabdo patients.