Malignant hyperthermia: a dilemma for the cardiac surgeon

Malignant hyperthermia is an inherited disease of skeletal muscle characterized by acute elevations of body temperature. The hyperthermic crisis is triggered by a variety of drugs and by volatile anesthetics or it may occur in response to stress. In this report the authors describe the case of a patient with malignant hyperthermia who underwent emergency aortocoronary bypass surgery for unstable angina. They outline the anesthetic and surgical management for individuals susceptible to hyperthermic crises who require open-heart surgery.