Rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and death after monensin ingestion

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 medici ne. There was an early and extremely severe rhabdomyolysis followed by acut e renal failure, heart failure, and death. The main changes observed at aut opsy were extensive skeletal muscle necrosis, complement deposition at the myocardial level, pulmonary edema, and acute tubular damage. (C) 2001 by th e National Kidney Foundation, Inc.