Malignant hyperthermia is a pathological condition, transmitted by inheritance (ie by parents), which manifests itself with obvious symptoms and signs only after taking certain anesthetic drugs.
But what exactly is the symptomatology and what does it have over time?
The characteristic symptoms of malignant hyperthermia are the sudden increase in body temperature (even up to 45 ° C), the overlapping of numerous muscle contractions, rhabdomyolysis and stiffness - usually accompanied by pain - of skeletal muscles.
To these, therefore, can be added other disorders such as: reddened skin, strong sweating, arrhythmia (usually tachycardia), increased breathing, hypotension and confusion.
The appearance of the symptomatology usually occurs within an hour of exposure to the drug or to the drugs to which one is susceptible; however, in some cases, it can also occur 12 hours later.
With timely treatment, the manifestations of the disease regress within 24 hours; without adequate treatment, the patient may experience respiratory and / or renal failure, which can even lead to death.
Not all affected people respond in the same way to the triggering substance: for some, in fact, the consequences are less serious than for others.
