General pediatric emergencies. Malignant hyperthermia syndrome.

Anesthesiologists always undertake the challenge of keeping themselves informed about advances in medical knowledge aggressively; however, they have not been particularly active in the areas of patient education and advocacy. Malignant hyperthermia syndrome is a unique condition that anesthesiologists as clinicians understand well--in most cases, better than other specialists. They are positioned best to inform patients initially about the significance of malignant hyperthermia syndrome susceptibility and to provide an ongoing resource for counseling. The physician-patient relationship, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology, "involves special obligations for the physician that include placing the patient's interest foremost, faithfully caring for the patient, and being truthful." The care, counseling, and support that anesthesiologists bring to the patient susceptible to malignant hyperthermia syndrome truly fulfills this relationship.