malignant hyperthermia

Question 1

what is malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 1

Malignant hyperthermia is a severe, life-threatening crisis often triggered by exposure to certain volatile inhalation anesthetics or the depolarizing muscle relaxant, suxamethonium.

Question 2

who is affected by malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 2

The primary etiology of malignant hyperthermia is an autosomal dominant mutation in the ryanodine receptor 1 gene. This mutation results in an abnormality in calcium regulation within muscle cells, leading to increased calcium levels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and a consequent increase in metabolic rate.

Question 3

what are features of malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 3

Rapid increase in body temperature
Muscle rigidity
Metabolic acidosis
Tachycardia
Increased exhaled carbon dioxide

Question 4

how do you ix malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 4

Blood tests to assess for metabolic acidosis and increased creatine kinase levels.
Arterial blood gas to assess for respiratory and metabolic acidosis.
Core temperature monitoring to detect hyperthermia.

Question 5

what gives definitive diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 5

Definitive diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia is achieved through genetic testing, which is typically performed post-episode.

Question 6

how do you manage malignant hyperthermia?

Answer 6