Successful Use of Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Ultrafiltration for Metabolic Resuscitation of a Moribund Child With Acute Perianesthetic Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report of Unsuspected Malignant Hyperthermia

Abstract

Life-threatening malignant hyperthermia and/or related disorders can rapidly strike the genetically susceptible individual when exposed to certain anesthetic agents, producing an acute syndrome in which death is likely unless immediate treatment is provided. This case report describes the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and ultrafiltration to resuscitate a moribund 10-year-old female who developed cardiac arrest from rhabdomyolytic hyperkalemia while receiving a general anesthetic for elective tonsillectomy. Subsequent muscle biopsy indicated the patient was susceptible to malignant hyperthermia.