Malignant Hyperthermia

Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Malignant Hyperthermia is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.

Synonyms

Hyperthermia of Anesthesia
Malignant Hyperpyrexia

Disorder Subdivisions

None

General Discussion

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder in which affected individuals are susceptible to adverse reactions to certain anesthetic drugs. The drugs that trigger malignant hyperthermia are the volatile inhalation gases including sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, halothane, enflurane, methoxyflurane and depolarizing muscle relaxants such a succinylcholine. The characteristics of a malignant hyperthermia episode are variable and include muscle rigidity, high blood pressure (hypertension) increased levels of carbon monoxide in blood or exhaled gas, rapid irregular heart rate, rapid deep breathing, blue skin, acidity of the blood and muscle damage. Body temperature can rise rapidly (hyperthermia), but sometimes only occurs late in an episode. When an episode is not recognized and treated, internal bleeding, brain damage, skeletal muscle degeneration (rhabdomyolysis), and kidney and heart failure can result.

Resources

Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS)
11 East State Street
PO Box 1069
Sherburne, NY 13460-1069
USA
Tel: 6076747901
Fax: 6076747910
Email: info@mhaus.org
Internet: http://www.mhaus.org

North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry of MHAUS
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Room #7446
3705 Fifth Ave at DeSoto St
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583
USA
Tel: 4126926390
Fax: 4126928658
Tel: 8882747899
Email: bwb+@pitt.edu
Internet: http://www.mhreg.org

Malignant Hyperthermia Hotline
MHAUS Hotline (available 24 hours a day)
If outside the U.S., call 0011 315 464 7079
95382
United States
Fax: (607) 674-7910
Tel: 8006449737
Internet: http://www.mhaus.org

NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Dr MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Tel: (301)496-7301
Fax: (301)402-0224

Malignant Hyperthermia Investigation Unit
Toronto General Hospital
200 Elizabeth Street
CCRW-2, Room ES3-403A
Toronto
Ontario, Intl M5G 2C4
Canada
Tel: (416)340-3128
Fax: (416)340-4960
Email: info@mhacanada.org
Internet: http://www.mhacanada.org

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org
Last Updated: 5/23/2008
Copyright 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2005 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

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