[Current diagnosis and therapy of malignant hyperthermia]

Malignant hyperthermia is an autosomal dominant disorder which results in a severe reaction to anesthetic agents in approximately 0.0005 to 0.5% of patients exposed to general anesthesia. Malignant hyperthermia is characterized by severe muscle rigidity, myoglobunuria, high fever, tachycardia, and arrhythmia precipitated by depolarizing muscle relaxants (succinylcholine) and inhalational anesthetic agents (halothane). When MH occurs, the anesthetic agents must be discontinued immediately and dantrolene should be administered.