Malignant hyperthermia is an inherited disease that causes a rapid rise in body temperature and severe muscle contractions when the affected person receives general anesthesia. Malignant hyperthermia is a cause of sudden and unexpected deaths of many healthy individuals undergoing minor surgery. In some rare cases, people with this disease may survive but they are usually left with brain damage, failed kidneys, muscle damage or weakened function of other major organs.
Malignant hyperthermia is rare but life-threatening condition that causes biochemical chain reaction response triggered by normally used general anesthetics and the paralyzing agent succinylcholine, within the skeletal muscles of affected individuals.
Symptoms of malignant hyperthermia
The typical symptoms of malignant hyperthermia are manifestations of hypercatabolic state and they include extremely rapid rise and high body temperature (to 105 degrees F or higher), increased heart and breathing rate, increased production of carbon dioxide accompanied with increased consumption of oxygen, acidosis, bleeding, brown urine, rigid muscles, stiffness in the muscles, muscle ache and rhabdomyolysis. If the treatment starts on time, symptoms of malignant hyperthermia can stop within twelve to twenty-four hours. However, the consequences of malignant hyperthermia may be severe.
Causes of malignant hyperthermia
The first signs and symptoms of malignant hyperthermia usually develop within the hour after exposure to trigger substances. In some rare cases, symptoms develop much later, even a couple of hours after receiving an anesthesia or other known trigger such as enflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane and isoflurane. Certain medications such as succinylcholine, used as a muscle relaxant, are also known to cause malignant hyperthermia.
Who is susceptible to malignant hyperthermia?
Malignant hyperthermia is a genetically inherited disease. Children and siblings of patient with malignant hyperthermia have 50 percent chance of inheriting a gene defect for this disease. Over 80 genetic defects have been associated with malignant hyperthermia and doctors now know it is inherited with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Most commonly, people are carrying the gene without knowing they are in danger. Most people find out they are at the higher risk once when they or their family member experiences a life-threatening crisis due to the anesthesia. People should notify both surgeon and anesthesiologist before having a surgery if they or somebody from their family had problems with general anesthesia, or they have a family history of malignant hyperthermia. The use of suitable medications can put off the complications of malignant hyperthermia during surgical procedure. People with history of myopathy, muscular dystrophy, or malignant hyperthermia should undergo a genetic counseling.
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