Malignant hyperthermia consists of an uncontrolled increase in body temperature, which exceeds the body's ability to lose heat, with no change in the adjustment of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center, which is what usually happens in situations of fever.
Malignant hyperthermia can occur in people who have a hereditary abnormality in skeletal muscles and who are exposed to inhaled anesthetics, such as halothane or enflurane, for example and also after exposure to a muscle relaxant called succinylcholine.
Treatment consists of cooling the body and administering medication into the vein, which should be done as soon as possible, as malignant hyperthermia can be fatal.
Possible causes
Malignant hyperthermia is caused by a hereditary anomaly that occurs in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscles, which causes a rapid increase in the amount of calcium within cells, in response to the administration of inhaled anesthetics, such as halothane or enflurane, for example, or due exposure to succinylcholine muscle relaxant.
Find out how general anesthesia works and what the risks are.
This elevation of calcium in the skeletal muscle leads to the formation of an exaggerated muscle contracture, causing a sudden increase in temperature.
What symptoms
Symptoms of malignant hyperthermia usually occur during exposure to anesthesia and are high temperature, increased heart rate and muscle metabolism, muscle stiffness and injury, acidosis and muscle instability.
How the treatment is done
Malignant hyperthermia should be treated immediately by interrupting anesthesia and administration in the dantrolene sodium vein, for a period of 24 to 48 hours, until the person can use the drug orally, if it is still necessary.
In addition to the administration of this medication, the person's body can be cooled with damp sponges, fans or ice baths and, if these external cooling measures are not enough, the body can also be cooled internally by gastric lavage with serum. cold physiological.
In more severe cases, in which the temperature cannot be lowered sufficiently, hemodialysis or cardiopulmonary bypass with cooling of the blood may be necessary.
