Heat, Extreme Exercise Can Trigger Malignant Hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia is a potentially life-threatening inherited muscle disorder that can occur when patients are exposed to certain commonly used general anesthetics, according to a Newswise report.

If not recognized and treated promptly, MH can be fatal. Approximately 800 cases of anesthetic-induced MH occur in the United States every year, though mortality from anesthesia-induced MH is very low. MH episodes can also be trigged by factors other than anesthesia, including heat, extreme exercise or febrile illness, according to the report.

In an article published in Anesthesiology, study authors note that fatal cases of 'awake' MH can be induced by heat stress in children. The investigators documented MH-like signs and symptoms in these patients and examined DNA changes that affect cellular physiology.

The authors found that genetic or DNA changes most commonly associated with MH are found within the gene called the ryanodine receptor. Additional factors such as patient age, presence of more than one DNA change, an existing medical condition or an additional environmental stressor can affect the likelihood that a life-threatening MH episode will occur.

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