title: Malignant hyperthermia. Considerations for the ophthalmologist.
abstract: Malignant hyperthermia, a relatively recently described entity, is a little-understood disease process usually manifesting as operative or postoperative hyperpyrexia in association with a hypermetabolic state. Specific therapy with procaine (Novocaine) and more recently with a muscle relaxant, dantrolene sodium (Dantrium), has shown itself to be life-saving, and currently diagnosis can be made by muscle biopsy in patients from affected pedigrees. Malignant hyperthermia is a risk in all general anesthetic procedures, particularly squint and ptosis repair, and may even be a consideration with local anesthesia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D003620:Dantrolene / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008305:Malignant Hyperthermia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D011343:Procaine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D011343:Procaine; D003620:Dantrolene