Malignant hyperthermia in a 4-year-old girl: A rare but lethal anesthetic emergency: A case report

Abstract

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare but serious life-threatening complication of drugs involved in general anesthesia. It involves the release of calcium when exposed to triggers such as depolarizing muscle relaxants (succinylcholine) or volatile anesthetic agents (such as halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane). It occurs when a patient with a mutation in the ryanodine or dihydropyridine receptor genes is exposed to neuromuscular blocking agents. We present a case of suspected MH in a child being operated on for developmental dysplasia of the hip. The development of MH in response to depolarizing neuromuscular blockers is a very rare phenomenon, but should remain on the list of differential diagnoses in the setting of a rapid rise in temperature intraoperatively.