Idiopathic malignant hyperthermia. Review and report of a case.

All physicians performing surgery while the patient is under general anesthesia must be aware of the existence of idiopathic malignant hyperthermia. A young adult had a malignant hyperthermic reaction despite four prior uneventful administrations of general anesthetics. To my knowledge, this is the first report of a patient who survived following a hyperthermic reaction, having sustained considerable residual brain damage. There is a great need for continuous body-temperature monitoring during general anesthesia.