In a crush injury with tea-colored urine, what is an appropriate urine output target?

In a crush injury with tea-colored urine, what is an appropriate urine output target?

• A. 60 mL/h
• B. 120 mL/h
• C. 160 mL/h
• D. 200 mL/h

Answer: (C)

Crush injuries with tea-colored urine point to rhabdomyolysis, where myoglobin released from damaged muscle can clog kidney tubules and lead to acute kidney injury. The key to preventing this is to keep urine flowing at a level that flushes out myoglobin and maintains good renal perfusion. In practice, a urine output target in the roughly 150–200 mL per hour range is used for many adults, with 160 mL/hour serving as a solid, commonly cited target. This rate balances ensuring adequate renal clearance of myoglobin while avoiding excessive fluid administration. Lower outputs risk inadequate clearance, while higher targets are feasible but not necessary in every patient.

Crush injuries with tea-colored urine point to rhabdomyolysis, where myoglobin released from damaged muscle can clog kidney tubules and lead to acute kidney injury. The key to preventing this is to keep urine flowing at a level that flushes out myoglobin and maintains good renal perfusion. In practice, a urine output target in the roughly 150–200 mL per hour range is used for many adults, with 160 mL/hour serving as a solid, commonly cited target. This rate balances ensuring adequate renal clearance of myoglobin while avoiding excessive fluid administration. Lower outputs risk inadequate clearance, while higher targets are feasible but not necessary in every patient.