Malignant Hyperthermia During General Anesthesia: Its Causes and How to Respond

Hello, I am Dr. Jo Hyun-woo of Ipche Surgery Clinic.

Today, we will learn about malignant hyperthermia, a very rare but serious complication that can occur during general anesthesia and can even be fatal.

What is malignant hyperthermia?

Malignant hyperthermia is not actually a term people commonly encounter.

It is a syndrome with a high mortality rate, in which body temperature suddenly rises during general anesthesia by 1 degree every 5 minutes, reaching as high as 42 degrees Celsius, along with rapid breathing and pulse, and muscle rigidity.

Malignant hyperthermia is a rare disease that occurs in about 1 out of 60,000 people. It is caused by genetic factors or muscular dystrophy, and it cannot usually be detected at all in everyday life.

If malignant hyperthermia occurs, body temperature rises rapidly, making cells unable to function normally, so immediate emergency treatment is needed.

Anesthesia must be stopped immediately, cooling inside the body cavity must be started, and the treatment drug dantrolene must be administered intravenously to reduce heat production from the muscles.

What is dantrolene?

Dantrolene, the only treatment for malignant hyperthermia, is a peripheral muscle relaxant that blocks calcium release and reduces calcium binding to troponin, producing a muscle-relaxing effect.

Dantrolene is a rare medication with a very short expiration period and is also expensive, so it is stocked mostly only at university hospitals.

To help patients who may be worried due to various issues feel reassured, Ipche Surgery Clinic also keeps dantrolene on hand in preparation for malignant hyperthermia, which is extremely rare but can occur during surgery.

We explain this in advance to patients during consultations, and because surgery is performed under a thorough plan with anesthesia equipment, an intraoperative monitoring system, and an experienced anesthesiology specialist, you can feel at ease.

Malignant hyperthermia is a very dangerous situation that can occur during surgery, but with proper awareness and thorough preparation, the risk can be minimized.

At Ipche Surgery Clinic, we prevent accidents in every aspect through detailed preoperative medical history checks and preoperative tests.

General anesthesia is an important matter not only from the patient's perspective but also from the hospital's perspective, so we always pay special attention.

Both medical staff and patients should be well informed about malignant hyperthermia, as quick diagnosis and immediate emergency treatment can keep patients safe.

Thank you.