Bush A, Dubowitz V. Fatal rhabdomyolysis complicating general anaesthesia in a child with Becker muscular dystrophy.
Neuromuscul Disord 1991;
1:201-4. [PMID:
1822795 DOI:
10.1016/0960-8966(91)90025-n]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A 6-yr-old boy who presented with brown urine due to myoglobinuria and who was otherwise virtually asymptomatic was diagnosed as having Becker muscular dystrophy on the basis of a greatly elevated creatine kinase, muscle biopsy, dystrophin analysis, and a deletion of exons 3-7 in the dystrophin gene. Fifteen months later, during a general anaesthetic for dental treatment, he had a cardiac arrest associated with acute rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia and hypocalcaemia. He died 4 days later. This case is reported to highlight this rare but potentially fatal complication of anaesthesia in muscular dystrophy, and to discuss possible ways of preventing such a catastrophe.
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