Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening condition resulting from a genetic sensitivity of skeletal muscles to volatile anaesthetics and depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs that occurs during or after anaesthesia.
The incidence has been reported to be between 1:4,500 to 1:60,000 procedures involving general anaesthesia. This disorder occurs worldwide and affects all racial groups. Most cases however occur in children and young adults. There is a strong family association for this condition, which is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
The phenomenon presents with muscular rigidity, folowed by a hypermetabolic state showing increaded oxygen consumption, increased carbon dioxide production, and increased temperature (hyperthermia), proceeding to rhabdomyolysis with rapid rising of myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK/CPK) and potassium.
After the widespread introduction of treatment with dantrolene the mortality of malignant hyperthermia fell from 80% in the 1960s to less than 10%.
Malignanthyperpyrexia (or Malignant hyperthermia) is a particular condition caused by the breakdown of muscle following its over-excitation, in response to certain stimuli, such as extreme exercise (especially in a high ambient temperature), intense and prolonged convulsions, anesthesia, fever or some drugs, such as cocaine, alcohol and aspirin.
Malignanthyperpyrexia is accompanied by abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmia) and kidney failure.
The susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia is an autosomal dominant inherited trait.
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