Abstract
MALIGNANT hyperpyrexia is a rare but often fatal complication of inhalation anaesthesia in man1. The fluorinated hydrocarbon halothane, CF3CHBrCl, is among the many anaesthetic agents which have been implicated2. A similar syndrome has been described in a pure Landrace strain of pig3. The onset of this phenomenon is rapid (10–15 min after administration of halothane) and there is extreme rigidity of skeletal muscles, a rapid rise in body temperature to 42°–45° C, severe acidosis and a fatal outcome in spite of cooling, muscle relaxants and intravenous alkalis. Once initiated, the process seems independent of the tissue concentration of halothane, which appears to act as a trigger. A few animals have recovered after brief exposure to halothane.
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BERMAN, M., HARRISON, G., BULL, A. et al. Changes underlying Halothane-induced Malignant Hyperpyrexia in Landrace Pigs. Nature 225, 653–655 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225653a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/225653a0
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