DefinePK

Abstract

Background & objective: Little is known about Malignant Hyperthermia (MH); as serious hypermetabolic response to anesthetic-related agents regarding its existence inside Saudi Arabia (KSA). Few MH incidents have been reported in periodic medical journals. To our knowledge, this nineteen-questionnaire survey is the first to be performed in KSA regarding MH. The main objective was to report suspected MH patients and the secondary objectives were to assess the availability of dantrolene vials, the management and outcome of the suspected patients.
Methodology: Google Forms were sent to the anesthesiologists working in Ministry of Health hospitals at three geographical districts in KSA (Eastern Province, Riyadh, and Western Province) through anesthesiologists’ social platforms. The electronic link was accessible from October 10, 2022, to April 02, 2024.
Results: Most of the 174 anesthesiologists, who replied, were consultants (65.5%), and 70.7% had more than 10 years of experience. 32 (18.4%) anesthesiologists reported having dealt with suspected MH patients during their careers, of which 21 were inside KSA hospitals. Anesthesiologists reporting having six or more vials of dantrolene were 113/174 (64.9%), whereas 23 (13.2%) reported having 3 to 6 vials and 13 (7.5%) 1 to 3 vials. Only 25 (14.4%) reported no vials. Of the anesthesiologists, 66 (37.9%) were aware of the locations of dantrolene in their city. According to 51.7% of respondents, 120 mg of dantrolene may be prepared in 30 min.
Conclusion: Our survey sheds light on susceptible MH cases in Saudi Arabia that remain unpublished or inadequately reported. Establishing a dedicated MH management and database center is a pressing need. The current low number of reported MH cases should not be used as a justification to delay such an initiative, particularly given the absence of accurate statistics. Moreover, the study demonstrates variability in hospital preparedness for MH emergencies, which needs to be addressed urgently. Hospitals with inadequate monitoring systems or insufficient dantrolene supplies need to meet the required standards for optimal patient safety.
Keywords: Anesthesia; Dantrolene; Malignant Hyperthermia; Perioperative Complications
Citation: Yassen KA, Al Herz PM, Alnami MS, ALmana AA, Osama AMK, Dur I Shahwar, AlSubaie RS, Saleh S, Khan I. Query malignant hyperthermia patients in Saudi Arabia; A questionnaire-based mini-survey. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2025;29(5):328-337. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v29i5.2637
Received: December 27, 2024; Revised: January 23, 2025; Accepted: May 17, 2025