Symptoms of malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia causes a fast and extreme increase in body temperature, and causes severe muscle spasms. Malignant hyperthermia is triggered by administering general anesthesia to a patient that is prone to the condition.
Malignant hyperthermia is genetically inherited and not to be mistaken for hyperthermia due to extreme conditions, like the effects of a patient suffering from a heat stroke.
MH is what is called an autosomal dominant trait. This means only one affected parent is required to cause the disease to be inherited by the child. Malignant hyperthermia may also be associated with other diseases like multiminicore myopathy and central core disease. One known cause for MH is a genetical defect in the RYR1 gene. In total there are more than 85 genetic defects associated with malignant hyperthermia.
Often MH manifests itself for the first time before or during surgery after anesthesia is administered to the afflicted patient. The symptoms for MH include:
An extreme and fast increase in body temperature, up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, stiff muscles with no plausible explanation such as exercise or hard labor, and urine of a dark brown color.
One of the early signs are stiff and often painful muscles without obvious exercise or labor to explain sore muscles, while dark brown urine suggests more problems than only MH. Despite the name malignant hyperthermia, the fever associated with it is one of the later signs. Therefore close monitoring of the patient while undergoing surgery is required at all times.
Due to the above, it is vital for a patient to be tested for this condition before undergoing surgery.
If you or a family member has the condition it is vital to let your doctor know about it. By using alternative anesthetics the complications that arise from malignant hyperthermia during surgery can be prevented and the condition never needs to manifest itself.
MH, unchecked can cause failing kidneys and can even be fatal and lead to the death of the patient undergoing surgery. Repeated MH episodes can cause rhabdomyolysis which is a kidney condition caused by an excessive amount of myoglobin, muscular dystrophy, otherwise known as weak muscles in common terms and in the worst case scenario MH can cause death.
Should the condition arise before or during surgery, reducing fever by using a cooling blanket may help while the antidote dantrolene is being administered. The use of this antidote has greatly decreased the number of fatalities during surgery. Intravenous fluids in combination with medication need to be given in order to maintain functioning of the kidneys during an acute manifestation of MH.
