EMERGENCY:Suspected MH in operating theatre —call040-46324365immediately — 24 hours, 7 days— 24/7
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle calcium regulation, triggered by specific anaesthetic agents in genetically susceptible individuals. It is not a disease in the conventional sense — the susceptible person is completely normal between exposures, and the reaction occurs only when they receive a triggering anaesthetic. Without treatment, MH has a mortality approaching 70%. With dantrolene — the specific antidote — mortality has fallen to less than 5% in centres with a functioning MH protocol. This near-complete dependence on a single drug makes dantrolene availability the single most important factor in MH survival.
MH is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle calcium regulation. In genetically susceptible individuals (mutations in RYR1 in >70% of families; CACNA1S in a minority), volatile anaesthetic agents (halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, enflurane) and/or succinylcholine trigger uncontrolled opening of the RYR1 calcium release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum — flooding the muscle cytoplasm with calcium, causing sustained uncontrolled muscle contraction: extreme hyperthermia (temperature can rise 1°C every 5 minutes), rhabdomyolysis, severe metabolic + respiratory acidosis, and cardiovascular collapse. Without dantrolene, mortality approaches 70%. With dantrolene: less than 5%. Inheritance: autosomal dominant, variable penetrance — family evaluation should follow appropriate genetic or contracture testing pathways based on the confirmed/suspected case. If a pathogenic RYR1 variant is identified in the proband, relatives can be tested by targeted blood test; if no variant is found, IVCT at a specialist centre is considered for those requiring anaesthesia. ETCO₂ rise is the FIRST and most sensitive sign (reflects massive CO₂ production from muscle metabolism; temperature lags significantly). Masseter spasm after succinylcholine is the early clinical warning. Dantrolene must be immediately accessible in every operating theatre where triggering agents are used — quantity per the applicable institutional MH protocol (MHAUS and EMHG guidelines recommend a minimum of 36 vials/720 mg as a reference for a severe reaction in an average adult, but exact stocking requirements should follow the institutional standard). No alternative to dantrolene exists.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Mechanism | RYR1 mutation (>70%) or CACNA1S · Triggering agents open RYR1 uncontrollably · Uncontrolled calcium release · Sustained muscle contraction · Hyperthermia + rhabdomyolysis + acidosis |
| Triggering agents | Volatile agents: halothane, sevoflurane (most common India), desflurane, isoflurane, enflurane · Succinylcholine · Safe: propofol, opioids, nitrous oxide, non-depolarising relaxants, local anaesthetics |
| First signs | ETCO₂ rising (first and most sensitive) · Masseter spasm after succinylcholine · Tachycardia · Temperature rising (lags behind ETCO₂) |
| Dantrolene | 2.5 mg/kg IV bolus · Repeat every 5 min to effect · Max 10 mg/kg · Minimum 36 vials per OT · No alternative · Calcium channel blockers CONTRAINDICATED |
| TIVA protocol | Propofol + remifentanil + non-depolarising relaxant · NO volatile agents · Vapour-free machine flushed ≥20 min at high flow · ETCO₂ + temperature monitored throughout |
| Screening | IVCT (gold standard, fresh muscle biopsy) · RYR1 genetic testing (identifies mutation in 70% of families) · Family evaluation based on confirmed/suspected case and appropriate genetic or IVCT pathway — not automatic blanket screening of all relatives · MH alert card carried by all confirmed/suspected susceptible individuals |
| Inheritance | Autosomal dominant · Variable penetrance · 50% risk to each first-degree relative · Susceptible between exposures: completely normal |
MH reaction: approximately 1 in 10,000–50,000 anaesthetics · MH susceptibility: 1 in 2,000–10,000.
RYR1 (ryanodine receptor 1, chromosome 19q13.2) — mutations in >70% of MH-susceptible families · CACNA1S (α1s subunit of L-type calcium channel) — in a small minority.
Autosomal dominant · Variable penetrance · Genetic testing of family members is essential once a proband is identified.
Volatile anaesthetics: halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, enflurane · Succinylcholine (suxamethonium) · Safe agents: propofol · opioids · nitrous oxide · non-depolarising muscle relaxants · local anaesthetics.
Masseter spasm (jaw rigidity) after succinylcholine · Generalised rigidity · Rising ETCO₂ (first and most sensitive sign) · Tachycardia · Rapid rise in temperature (may lag behind other signs) · Metabolic + respiratory acidosis · Rhabdomyolysis (dark urine).
End-tidal CO₂ rising despite increasing ventilation is the earliest and most consistent sign of MH · Reflects massively increased CO₂ production from uncontrolled muscle metabolism.
Mechanism: blocks RYR1 calcium channel directly · Dose: 2.5 mg/kg IV bolus, repeat every 5 min to effect, maximum 10 mg/kg · MUST be available in every operating theatre · Quantity per institutional MH protocol (MHAUS/EMHG reference: 36 vials/720 mg for average adult; confirm per local standard).
MH awareness among anaesthetists variable · Dantrolene: ensure every OT is stocked · Sevoflurane is the most commonly used volatile anaesthetic in India · Family history may not be known (index case may be the first reaction).
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle calcium regulation, triggered by specific anaesthetic agents in genetically susceptible individuals. It is not a disease in the conventional sense — the susceptible person is completely normal between exposures, and the reaction occurs only when they receive a triggering anaesthetic. Without treatment, MH has a mortality approaching 70%. With dantrolene — the specific antidote — mortality has fallen to less than 5% in centres with a functioning MH protocol. This near-complete dependence on a single drug makes dantrolene availability the single most important factor in MH survival.
The triggering agents are volatile halogenated anaesthetic gases — halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, enflurane — and the depolarising muscle relaxant succinylcholine (suxamethonium). In a susceptible individual, these agents activate the ryanodine receptor type 1 (RYR1) in the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, causing uncontrolled massive calcium release into the muscle cytoplasm. This triggers sustained, uncontrolled muscle contraction: generating enormous amounts of heat (hyperthermia), consuming oxygen and ATP at catastrophic rates (severe metabolic acidosis), and destroying muscle cells (rhabdomyolysis). The condition progresses rapidly — from normal anaesthesia to crisis within minutes.
Emergency / Pre-operative Consultation
Speak directly with the KIMS anaesthesia and clinical genetics teams — for known MH-susceptible patients, family histories of anaesthetic deaths, trigger-free TIVA planning, and RYR1 genetic testing well in advance of any planned surgery.
040-44885000Intraoperative emergency: 040-46324365The ryanodine receptor type 1 (RYR1) is the calcium release channel in the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum — the intracellular calcium store. In normal muscle physiology, RYR1 opens briefly in response to a nerve impulse (via the dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR/CACNA1S) to release just enough calcium to trigger contraction, then closes again promptly. In MH-susceptible individuals, the mutant RYR1 is hypersensitive and dysregulated: when exposed to triggering anaesthetic agents, the channel opens and cannot close, releasing calcium continuously and uncontrollably. The resulting sustained muscle contraction: generates extreme heat (from ATP hydrolysis) · Rapidly depletes oxygen and ATP · Produces massive amounts of CO₂ and lactic acid · Destroys muscle cell membranes (rhabdomyolysis with potassium, myoglobin, and CK release). The temperature rise can reach 1°C every 5 minutes in a severe untreated reaction.
Masseter muscle spasm (jaw rigidity, inability to open the mouth) immediately after succinylcholine administration is a specific early warning of potential MH susceptibility. Under normal circumstances, succinylcholine causes brief jaw relaxation before depolarising the masseter. Masseter spasm instead of relaxation = the masseter RYR1 channels are already hyperactivated. This sign should trigger immediate heightened alertness for MH: stop succinylcholine · Switch to a non-triggering anaesthetic technique · Monitor ETCO₂, temperature, CK · Have dantrolene ready to administer.
Rising end-tidal CO₂ (ETCO₂) is typically the first monitored indicator of MH in the anaesthetic circuit. It reflects the massive increase in CO₂ production from uncontrolled muscle metabolism. Crucially, ETCO₂ rises before significant hyperthermia (temperature lags because so much heat is initially absorbed by the body before reaching the thermometer). In an anaesthetised patient, any unexplained rise in ETCO₂ that cannot be explained by hypoventilation or rebreathing should trigger consideration of MH. Standard MH monitoring protocol: ETCO₂ + continuous temperature (nasopharyngeal or oesophageal) + SpO₂ + ABG (metabolic acidosis + hypercarbia = MH until proven otherwise).
MH is diagnosed and managed at KIMS through a structured four-stage workflow that begins with time-critical clinical recognition in the operating theatre (no waiting for laboratory confirmation), proceeds immediately into the KIMS MH emergency protocol from triggering-agent cessation through dantrolene administration and ICU transfer, uses post-episode IVCT or RYR1 genetic testing as the gold standard for susceptibility confirmation, and applies pre-operative MH risk assessment with trigger-free TIVA in all known susceptible patients :
MH is diagnosed clinically in real time: ETCO₂ rising despite increasing ventilation · Tachycardia · Rapidly rising temperature · Generalised rigidity · ABG: metabolic + respiratory acidosis · SpO₂ falling. Laboratory confirmation is retrospective: serum CK (peaks 12–24 hours after the reaction) · Urine myoglobin · Arterial blood gas (severe metabolic acidosis: BE <−8 mEq/L). Do NOT wait for laboratory results to begin treatment.
(1) Call for help · (2) Stop all volatile anaesthetic agents and succinylcholine immediately · (3) Switch to 100% O₂ at 10 L/min · (4) Hyperventilate to eliminate CO₂ · (5) Give dantrolene 2.5 mg/kg IV bolus · (6) Abandon or complete surgery as rapidly as possible · (7) Active cooling: cold IV saline, ice packs, ice water lavage of accessible cavities · (8) Treat arrhythmias (not with calcium channel blockers — they are contraindicated with dantrolene) · (9) Treat hyperkalaemia (calcium gluconate, insulin-glucose, bicarbonate) · (10) Admit to ICU.
For post-episode susceptibility testing and family screening: a fresh muscle biopsy (from the vastus lateralis or brachioradialis) is taken and exposed to incremental concentrations of halothane and caffeine in vitro. Abnormal contracture at low concentrations = MH susceptibility. The IVCT is performed only at designated MH testing centres (limited in India). RYR1 genetic testing is an alternative: detects the specific mutation in 70% of MH-susceptible families. If a known mutation is identified in the proband, family members can be tested by blood test alone.
All patients scheduled for anaesthesia at KIMS are asked about personal and family history of anaesthetic reactions. Known MH-susceptible patients require: anaesthesia with a trigger-free technique (total intravenous anaesthesia — TIVA, using propofol + remifentanil + non-depolarising muscle relaxant) · Vapour-free anaesthesia machine (flushed for 20+ minutes at high flow rates) · Dantrolene prepared and ready at the bedside before induction · ETCO₂ + continuous temperature monitoring throughout. An MH susceptibility alert card should be carried by the patient and presented to any anaesthetist before any procedure.
Dantrolene maintenance: 1 mg/kg IV every 6 hours for 24–48 hours after the acute reaction. Then oral dantrolene if needed.
Rhabdomyolysis management: IV crystalloid to maintain urine output >1 mL/kg/hour · Urine alkalinisation with bicarbonate · Monitor creatinine, electrolytes, CK 6-hourly.
Temperature monitoring: Recurrent hyperthermia may require repeat dantrolene bolus · Target core temperature <38.5°C.
Cardiac monitoring: Arrhythmias from hyperkalaemia and acidosis · ECG continuous monitoring · 12-lead ECG.
Post-Episode Counselling and Family Testing: The patient and all first-degree relatives are counselled about MH susceptibility. Each child of an MH-susceptible parent has a 50% risk of inheriting the same mutation (autosomal dominant). All relatives who may require anaesthesia should: carry an MH alert card · Inform anaesthetists before any procedure · Undergo IVCT or RYR1 testing if available.
Related Conditions
Malignant hyperthermia belongs to the family of autonomic nervous system disorders evaluated and managed at KIMS Neuroscience. Explore related conditions
A family history of an anaesthetic death. A jaw that locked when the relaxant was given. A temperature that rose too fast in the operating theatre. Malignant hyperthermia is survivable — with dantrolene and a team that is prepared.
At KIMS Hyderabad, every operating theatre is stocked with dantrolene and the anaesthesia team is trained in the MH emergency protocol. Pre-operative anaesthesia consultation: 040-44885000. Intraoperative emergency: 040-46324365.
International enquiries: info@kimsneurosciences.com