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Malignant hyperthermia

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Hyperthermia - malignant; Hyperpyrexia - malignant

Prevention:

If you or anyone in your family has malignant hyperthermia, it is very important to tell your doctor, especially before having surgery with general anesthesia. The use of appropriate anesthetic medication can prevent the complications of malignant hyperthermia during surgery.

It is important to avoid stimulant drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine (speed) and ecstasy as they may produce malignant hyperthermia-like problems in susceptible individuals.

Genetic counseling is recommended for anyone with a family history of myopathy, muscular dystrophy, or malignant hyperthermia.

References:

Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002:2000.

• Review Date: 7/25/2007
• Reviewed By: Chad Haldeman-Englert, MD, Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospitalof Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed HealthcareNetwork.

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