SummaryHuman malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening genetic sensitivity of skeletal muscles to volatile anaesthetics and depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs occurring during or after anaesthesia. The skeletal muscle relaxant dantrolene is the only currently available drug for specific and effective therapy of this syndrome in man. After its introduction, the mortality of malignant hyperthermia decreased from 80% in the 1960s to < 10% today. It was soon discovered that dantrolene depresses the intrinsic mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle. However, its precise mechanism of action and its molecular targets are still incompletely known. Recent studies have identified the ryanodine receptor as a dantrolene-binding site. A direct or indirect inhibition of the ryanodine receptor, the major calcium release channel of the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, is thought to be fundamental in the molecular action of dantrolene in decreasing intracellular calcium concentration. Dantrolene is not only used for the treatment of malignant hyperthermia, but also in the management of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, spasticity and Ecstasy intoxication. The main disadvantage of dantrolene is its poor water solubility, and hence difficulties are experienced in rapidly preparing intravenous solutions in emergency situations. Due to economic considerations, no other similar drugs have been introduced into routine clinical practice.

The TASH-Score is an easy-to-use scoring system that reliably predicts the probability for MT after multiple trauma. Taken as a surrogate for life threatening bleeding calculation may focus attention on relevant variables indicative for risk and impact strategies to stop bleeding and stabilize coagulation in acute trauma care.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

The IVCT for diagnosis of MH susceptibility in Europe has a high sensitivity and a satisfactory specificity.

: The purpose of this update of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) guidelines on the pre-operative evaluation of the adult undergoing noncardiac surgery is to present recommendations based on the available relevant clinical evidence. Well performed randomised studies on the topic are limited and therefore many recommendations rely to a large extent on expert opinion and may need to be adapted specifically to the healthcare systems of individual countries. This article aims to provide an overview of current knowledge on the subject with an assessment of the quality of the evidence in order to allow anaesthesiologists all over Europe to integrate - wherever possible - this knowledge into daily patient care. The Guidelines Committee of the ESA formed a task force comprising members of the previous task force, members of ESA scientific subcommittees and an open call for volunteers was made to all individual active members of the ESA and national societies. Electronic databases were searched from July 2010 (end of the literature search of the previous ESA guidelines on pre-operative evaluation) to May 2016 without language restrictions. A total of 34 066 abtracts were screened from which 2536 were included for further analysis. Relevant systematic reviews with meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies and cross-sectional surveys were selected. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the level of evidence and to grade recommendations. The final draft guideline was posted on the ESA website for 4 weeks and the link was sent to all ESA members, individual or national (thus including most European national anaesthesia societies). Comments were collated and the guidelines amended as appropriate. When the final draft was complete, the Guidelines Committee and ESA Board ratified the guidelines.

Regarding these results, the authors recommend performing muscle biopsies for histologic examination and IVCT in patients with ER. In addition, the patient should be seen by a neurologist and screened for genetic abnormalities to shed light on the genetics of MH.

Key points † MH is rare, but its incidence may be increasing. † Prompt recognition is the key to a safe outcome. † These guidelines provide a template for diagnosis and treatment. † Suspected cases and their relatives should be followed up and investigated for MH.Survival from a malignant hyperthermia (MH) crisis is highly dependent on early recognition and prompt action. MH crises are very rare and an increasing use of total i.v. anaesthesia is likely to make it even rarer, leading to the potential risk of reduced awareness of MH. In addition, dantrolene, the cornerstone of successful MH treatment, is unavailable in large areas around the world thereby increasing the risk of MH fatalities in these areas. The European Malignant Hyperthermia Group collected and reviewed all guidelines available from the various MH centres in order to provide a consensus document. The guidelines consist of two textboxes: Box 1 on recognizing MH and Box 2 on the treatment of an MH crisis.

Background: Neonates and infants requiring anaesthesia are at risk of physiological instability and complications, but triggers for peri-anaesthetic interventions and associations with subsequent outcome are unknown. Methods: This prospective, observational study recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. The primary aim was to identify thresholds of pre-determined physiological variables that triggered a medical intervention. The secondary aims were to evaluate morbidities, mortality at 30 and 90 days, or both, and associations with critical events. Results: Infants (n¼5609) born at mean (standard deviation [SD]) 36.2 (4.4) weeks postmenstrual age (35.7% preterm) underwent 6542 procedures within 63 (48) days of birth. Critical event(s) requiring intervention occurred in 35.2% of cases, mainly hypotension (>30% decrease in blood pressure) or reduced oxygenation (SpO 2 <85%). Postmenstrual age influenced the incidence and thresholds for intervention. Risk of critical events was increased by prior neonatal medical conditions, congenital anomalies, or both (relative risk [RR]¼1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04e1.28