Management of suspected malignant hyperpyrexia in an infant

A case of possible malignant hyperthermia in a 6-month-old child is presented. Malignant hyperthermia was manifested in this patient by persistent metabolic acidosis in the intraoperative and postoperative periods, by a rapid rise in temperature with concomitant unresponsiveness in the postoperative period, and by a positive caffeine-halothane stimulation test. The malignant hyperthermia occurring in the postoperative period resolved promptly following administration of dantrolene sodium. An unusual aspect of this case is that both of the child's parents had normal CPK values and negative caffeine-halothane stimulation tests.