The laboratory for diagnostics of malignant hyperthermia

Overview

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease which is one of the feared life-threatening complications of general anaesthesia. Some substances (contemporary volatile anaesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants) commonly used for the induction and maintaining of general anaesthesia are triggering agents for disease manifestation. Anaesthesiologists and general practitioners are crucial for the identification of MH-susceptible patients. At present, the only objective method for determining the diagnosis of MHsusceptibility is the method of the so-called in vitro contracture test. As part of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care of the St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno in the Czech Republic, the National Centre for Diagnostics of Malignant Hyperthermia and the laboratory for diagnostics of this disease were set up. It is necessary to perform planned operations in MH-positive patients using an appropriate method of anaesthesia in inpatient health-care settings that are staffed accordingly and equipped with materials and drugs for the management of any possible MH-crisis. Carrying the international MH-Emergency-Card reduces the risk of MH-crisis development in MH-positive patients in case of general anaesthesia administration in acute conditions and diseases, e.g. in injuries. The establishment of the National Centre for Diagnostics of Malignant Hyperthermia and the introduction of the in vitro contracture test for the diagnostics of malignant hyperthermia reduce the risk of a serious complication of general anaesthesia in the population of the Czech Republic.

Key words:
malignant hyperthermia – diagnostics – in vitro contracture test – laboratory.