Malignant hyperthermia: a review

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) was first identified as an anesthetic-related patient syndrome with familial tendencies in 1960. It is defined as a chain reaction of abnormalities triggered in susceptible individuals by commonly used anesthetic agents, and is classified as a hypermetabolic disorder of skeletal muscle. It is believed that susceptible patients possess a genetic predisposition for the development of the disease. In an acute episode of MH, the anesthetic triggering agent appears to interfere with the calcium ion reentry into the sarcoplasmic reticulum after muscle contraction. This process involving the calcium ion is the basis for all the clinical symptoms observed.