Malignant hyperpyrexia during anesthesia in childhood.

Malignant hyperpyrexia is a highly lethal complication of general anesthesia. It occurs with sufficient frequency, particularly in children and young adults, to justify use of continuous temperature monitoring during adminnstration of general anesthesia. Fever may be a late manifestation of the malignant hyperpyrexia syndrome, and it is important to be aware of the early signs. Prompt recognition and aggressive management should lower the high mortality known to occur with this complication. Family members should be screened for CPK elevations to determine possible susceptibility to malignant hyperpyrexia. Two case reports illustrate these points of diagnosis and management.