During anesthesia, fever is a late finding of malignant hyperthermia. Which finding would be considered a late sign?

During anesthesia, fever is a late finding of malignant hyperthermia. Which finding would be considered a late sign?

• A. Muscle rigidity
• B. Fever
• C. Tachycardia
• D. Increased CO2 production

Answer: (B)

In malignant hyperthermia, signs appear in a progression from rapid metabolic heat production to systemic effects. The crisis starts with a surge in skeletal muscle activity driven by uncontrolled calcium release, which makes the body generate heat and blow off CO2. That pattern shows up early as a sharp rise in end-tidal CO2, along with tachycardia and muscle rigidity. Fever, however, doesn’t appear until later, after the body has been overloaded with heat and the hypermetabolic state has progressed. So fever is the late sign because it reflects ongoing, widespread hypermetabolism and heat accumulation rather than the initial trigger responses.

In malignant hyperthermia, signs appear in a progression from rapid metabolic heat production to systemic effects. The crisis starts with a surge in skeletal muscle activity driven by uncontrolled calcium release, which makes the body generate heat and blow off CO2. That pattern shows up early as a sharp rise in end-tidal CO2, along with tachycardia and muscle rigidity. Fever, however, doesn’t appear until later, after the body has been overloaded with heat and the hypermetabolic state has progressed. So fever is the late sign because it reflects ongoing, widespread hypermetabolism and heat accumulation rather than the initial trigger responses.