Malignant hyperthermia with excellent response to small dose of dantrolene

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an operative emergency associated with general anesthesia. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the keynotes in management of MH. Dantrolene is the only specific drug and all of the institutions where general anesthesia is a daily routine should have a stockpile of this drug for the rare occurrence of MH. Nonetheless, the enormous expenditure on stockpile and 3-year validity make a large reserve of the drug to forestall MH, a disorder of rare occurrence, seems disputable, especially in small hospitals where general anesthesia is seldom practiced. We herein report two cases of MH with excellent response to small doses of dantrolene and then discuss the way of practicable management and debate on the question of whether fewer stock of dantrolene is an alternative way for hospitals of smaller scale.