Exercise induced acute renal failure in an athlete.

After a strenuous indoor competition, a 24 year old male 400 meter runner experienced severe back pain followed by three days of nausea and vomiting. This led to hospital admission with oliguria, serum creatinine of 12.6 mg%, and BUN of 72 mg%. Peritoneal dialysis was given for 96 hours and was discontinued when the diuretic phase developed. Myoglobinuria was suspected, but all tests for it were negative. Mechanisms of acute tubular necrosis are reviewed, noting predisposing factors-dehydration, acidosis, and hypoxia-which were present in this clinical case. Ischemia due to markedly reduced renal blood flow secondary to mass sympathetic discharge, dehydration and metabolic acidosis could cause sufficient tissue damage to trigger acute renal failure in the presence of myoglobinemia. Active fluid replacement in athletic training and competition is stressed as a preventive feature.