Hyperthermia - malignant; Hyperpyrexia - malignant

Symptoms include:

• Bleeding
• Dark brown urine
• Muscle ache without an obvious cause, such as exercise or injury
• Muscle rigidity and stiffness
• Quick rise in body temperature to 105 degrees F or higher

Malignant hyperthermia is often discovered after a patient is given anesthesia during surgery.

There may be a family history of malignant hyperthermia or unexplained death during anesthesia.

The person may have a fast and often irregular heart rate.

Tests that may be done include:

• Chem-20
• Genetic testing to look for defects in the RYR1 gene
• Muscle biopsy
• Urine myoglobin (muscle protein) determination

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Malignant hyperthermia Overview

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Malignant hyperthermia Treatment

Review Date: 04/01/2011
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)