Marzieh Hashemi
1 
, Ghazaleh Sajadi
2* , Samaneh Pourajam
2 1 Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Defined as the destruction of the skeletal muscle wall and the release of cellular contents into the bloodstream, rhabdomyolysis has been reported as a complication for some forms of vaccines. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the extensive production and use of several vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, meanwhile, the side effects of these vaccines are gradually being reported. Up to now, few cases of rhabdomyolysis due to COVID-19 vaccination have been reported in the studies. The present study intended to report two cases of rhabdomyolysis due to vaccination with Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The patients were two men aged 70 and 75 years old who presented to a healthcare facility with weakness, myalgia, nausea, and vomiting for about ten days after receiving their first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Patients had elevated levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), which were 5540 IU/L and 18760 IU/L in patients, respectively.
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
Vaccination is currently considered the only available option for terminating the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the potential side effects of the available vaccines against COVID-19 can be concerning. The present study intended to report the incidence of two cases of rhabdomyolysis following vaccination with Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Please cite this paper as: Hashemi M, Sajadi G, Pourajam S. Rhabdomyolysis following Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination; two case reports from Iran. J Nephropathol. 2024;13(1):e18408. DOI: 10.34172/jnp.2023.18408.