Hyperkalemic cardiac arrest during anesthesia in infants and children with occult myopathies

In 1992, the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States and The North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry received reports of cardiac arrest in apparently healthy children given succinylcholine. Using data from 1990 to 1993, this study analyzes: (1) etiology of all reported pediatric arrests and (2) whether survival was associated with certain patient or treatment variables. We reviewed retrospectively all reports of pediatric (age < 18 years) arrests occurring within 24 hours of anesthesia. Etiology of arrests and presence of myopathy were determined. Twenty-five patients (92% male, median 45 months old) arrested; 23/25 (92%) were scheduled for minor surgery. Before receiving a potent inhalational anesthetic (92%) and/or succinylcholine (72%), these patients were evaluated by the anesthesiologist as being healthy with no personal or family history of myopathy. Serum potassium during arrest was measured in 18/25 (72%) patients; hyperkalemia (mean [K+] = 7.4 +/- 2.8, median 7.5 mmol/L) was detected in 13/18 (72%) patients. Postarrest resuscitations lasted a median of 42 minutes (range 10-296). Ten (40%) patients died, 1 (4%) is vegetative, and 14 (56%) returned to baseline neurologic function. A previously unrecognized Duchenne dystrophy (n = 8) or unspecified myopathy (n = 4) was diagnosed in 12 (48%) patients. Eight of these 12 patients' arrests were associated with hyperkalemia. Ten (40%) patients had no postarrest evaluation to exclude occult myopathy. No patient or treatment variables were statistically associated with survival. We conclude that, whenever possible, pediatricians should evaluate their patients (especially male infants and children) preoperatively for the presence of occult myopathy. During perianesthetic resuscitations, the pediatric advanced life support protocol should be modified to detect and treat hyperkalemia, a potentially reversible state even after prolonged resuscitation efforts. Following anesthetic deaths, pathologists should examine body fluid electrolytes and skeletal muscle for myopathy and dystrophin. If a preanesthetic creatine kinase screen for myopathy in male patients and restrictions on succinylcholine had been used, 64% of arrests and 60% of deaths might have been prevented. A formal prospective risk/benefit analysis for preventive measures is needed.