MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA

Course overview

MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA (MH) IS A HEREDITARY DISORDER OF SKELETAL MUSCLE THAT CLASSICALLY PRESENTS AS A HYPERMETABOLIC RESPONSE TO HALOGENATED ANESTHETIC GASSES AND/OR THE DEPOLARIZING MUSCLE RELAXANT SUCCINYLCHOLINE. GENETICALLY SUSCEPTIBLE PATIENTS CAN HAVE A MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA REACTION IN RESPONSE TO TRIGGERING AGENTS SUCH AS HALOGENATED ANESTHETIC GASSES AND/OR SUCCINYLCHOLINE AND MORE RARELY TO STRESSORS SUCH AS VIGOROUS EXERCISE AND HEAT EXPOSURE. NITROUS OXIDE AND XENON, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE INHALED ANESTHETICS, ARE NOT HALOGENATED AND HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLICATED IN MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA AND THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THIS CONDITION.