Interesting and unusual topic...has anyone heard of this before?!
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A Fresh Focus on a Rare Risk of Anesthesia

The possibility of a rare but potentially deadly reaction to anesthesia is putting a spotlight on the many doctors' offices and surgical centers where a growing number of surgical procedures are performed.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120950929636954247.html...=todays_us_nonsub_pj

The condition has been well known for many years and, in fact, because it is genetically linked, was used to point out how in-bred a region of SE Idaho was where the incidence is several times the national norm.

I had never heard of this before. Thanks for an interesting read.

Yup, malignant hyperthermia is a possible complication of anesthesia, particularly inhaled anesthetics. Dantrolene is the drug of choice for reversal...the ability of physicians to help negate the inherent risks of anesthesia are sometimes taken for granted or overlooked by those undergoing the knife--"I'm not going to be the 1 in XX."

yep, from my veterinary medical perspective, this also occurs in dogs and cats, and pigs (though I don't deal with pigs...http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif) though it is rare. Dantrolene is the drug used to treat it. We also see it rarely in cats in response to certain opioid drugs (like hydromorphone)