Malignant hyperthermia
Definition
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a condition that causes a number of physical changes to occur among genetically susceptible individuals when they are exposed to a particular muscle relaxant or certain types of medications used for anesthesia. The changes may include increased rate of breathing, increased heart rate, muscle stiffness, and significantly increased body temperature (i.e. hyperthermia). Although MH can usually be treated successfully, it sometimes leads to long-term physical illness or death. Research has identified a number of genetic regions that may be linked to an increased MH susceptibility.
Description
Unusual response to anesthesia was first reported in a medical journal during the early 1960s, when physicians described a young man in need of urgent surgery for a...
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