[Malignant hyperthermia - therapy results with dantrolene. A case report].

A 5-year-old previously healthy girl, received general anaesthesia for performing an appendectomy. After administration of succinyl choline (20 mg, twice repeated) and halothane (increasing to 2 per cent by volume), the following symptoms of malignant hyperthermia became manifest during anaesthesia: rigor, tachycardia, cardiac dysrhythmia, temperature increase to 42.6 degrees C; anaesthesia was effected with 2 litres O2/min, 4 litres N2O/min, halothane 1.5-2 per cent by volume, using the Kuhn system. Cooling reduced the temperature at first to 40.6 degrees C and subsequently, with additional intravenous administration of dantrolene (initially rapidly 20 mg equal 1 mg/kg body weight, then 10 mg/kg body weight X 24 hrs) within an hour to 37.5 degrees C. The postoperative phase was uncomplicated. The pattern of symptoms and therapy are critically reviewed. Basing on the cases described in literature, as known to the authors, the value of dantrolene in respect of treatment of malignant hypothermia in man is reviewed.