[The early diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia--the place of end-expiratory CO2 monitoring].

The authors report on the course of a fulminant malignant hyperthermia (MH) associated with laminectomy in a 29-year-old man who had been healthy up to that time. Succinylcholine and isoflurane were considered to be the causative triggering agents. Progression could be prevented due to an early suspicion raised by end-expiratory CO2 measurement: treatment was instituted immediately (Dantrolene 2mg/kg body weight, oxygen hyperventilation, external cooling, etc.) Serum creatine kinase increased up to almost 50,000 U/l associated with massive myoglobinuria. Residue-free restitution was achieved within a few days. Decisive for an early detection of MH is the routine performance of end-expiratory CO2 measurement which is definitely superior to temperature control and significantly reduces the time that elapses before treatment is initiated.