Survival of an oral surgery patient with malignant hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening complication of general anesthesia. Its cause is not precisely known but it appears to be related to a genetic defect that allows increased release or decreased reaccumulation of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum whech then results in a hypermetabolic state. As with any unexpected complication when a patient is under general anesthesia, early diagnosis and treatment are essential. The early clinical signs that the surgeon and anesthesiologist shoulc be alert to are unexplained tachycardia, unexplained tachypnea, muscular rigidity, and increased temperature. Therapy should be accurate and immediate. The essentials of therapy are discontinuance of the anesthetic agent; immediate, active, and aggressive cooling; administration of procaine or procaine amide, 1 mg/kg/min until the pulse slows; correction of electrolyte and acid-base imbalances; maintenance of urinary output with furosemide and large volumes of fluids, intravenously; and supportive care. A thorough knowledge of the management of malignant hyperthermia ahd the pathophysiology of the complications that may occur with general anesthesia will allow the oral surgeon to fully meet his obligations to his patients.