Kay 1
Amy Kay
Professor Robinson
Medical Terminology
October 12, 2005
Malignant Hyperthermia
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease of skeletal muscle. Characteristically patients with this disease have no signs or symptoms except during an anesthetic. When exposed to inhalational anesthetics (those which are gases), muscle metabolism increases, and a series of signs and symptoms appear, which if left untreated can lead to death. The earliest findings are an increased production of carbon dioxide and signs of increases sympathetic nervous system activity.
Malignant Hyperthermia is typically a life threatening disease, also referred to as a syndrome, which occurs when a person with Malignant Hyperthermia susceptibility trait is exposed to triggering factors, which include most inhalational anesthetics (though not Nitrous Oxide), succinylcholine ( a muscle relaxant used during surgery) and rarely stress. Classic......
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