Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- presence of risk factors
- increased minute ventilation
- elevated core temperature
- muscle rigidity
Other diagnostic factors
- tachycardia
- decreased urine output
- excessive sweating with exercise
- muscle cramps
- spontaneous episodes of severe muscle stiffness
Risk factors
- exposure to potent inhalation anaesthetic and/or succinylcholine (suxamethonium)
- susceptibility to MH
- previous MH episode
- positive family history
- exposure to illicit or designer drugs
- exertional heat illness
Diagnostic investigations
Treatment algorithm
Contributors
Authors
Professor and Chair
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Florida at Gainesville
Gainesville
FL
Disclosures
NG declares that he has no competing interests.
Retired Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh
PA
Disclosures
BWB has been reimbursed by the not-for-profit sponsor of the North American MH Registry (NAMHR), the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) for attending meetings related to the management of the NAMHR. For the past 16 years, BWB received grants from MHAUS to maintain the NAMHR. BWB has given lectures and prepared educational materials for her previous employer, the Department of Anesthesiology in the University of Pittsburgh. As of 1 July, 2016, BWB retired from that employment. BWB has published papers and prepared educational materials for MHAUS, with the help of other volunteers for MHAUS. BWB sponsored LM for an award granted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. This award allowed LM to travel to several medical centers that were active in the diagnosis of MH, as well as to the NAMHR to improve her understanding of this syndrome. This is part of BWB's mentoring of younger anesthesiologists. BWB is also an author of a number of references cited in this topic.
Professors Nikolaus Gravenstein and Barbara W. Brandom would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Lena Mayes, a previous contributor to this topic. LM declares that she has no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Director
Department of Medical Education and Clinical Research
Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Livingstone
NJ
Disclosures
HR declares that he has no competing interests.
Professor of Anesthesia
University of Leeds
Academic Unit of Anesthesia
St James's University Hospital
Leeds
UK
Disclosures
PH is an author of a number of references cited in this monograph.
Associate Professor
Perioperative Patient Safety
Department of Biomedicine
University Hospital Basel
Basel
Switzerland
Disclosures
TG declares that he has no competing interests.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Anesthesiology
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem
NC
Disclosures
JT is an author of a number of references cited in this monograph.
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