A 15-year-old girl developed symptoms suggestive of malignant hyperthermia during a laparoscopic appendicectomy for acute appendicitis. The triad of masseter spasm, hypercarbia and hyperthermia within 30 minutes of exposure to triggering factors was present and was treated successfully with dantrolene. She is among a handful of cases known locally. The problems faced in the post-acute phase included the development of thrombophlebitis due to dantrolene use in our patient, as well as paucity of testing centres for malignant hyperthermia both locally and in the region. This prevented us from making a definitive diagnosis in our patient.
Copyright 2014, NMJI.