Treatment during an attack

The current treatment of choice for an MH attack is the intravenous administration of the drug dantrolene. It is the only known antidote, but surgeons will also stop using the triggering agents, and if needed mechanical ventilation to correct hyperthermia, acidosis, and organ dysfunction. Treatment must be instituted very rapidly on immediate clinical suspicion of an MH attack.

Dantrolene is a muscle relaxant that acts directly on the ryanodine receptor. It stops the outward flow of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulium in the skeletal muscles which causes excessive contraction in an MH attack. This excessive muscle contraction increases the patients demand for oxygen. Carbon dioxide builds up in the blood as it is not removed quickly causing acidosi

 As well as dantrolene, the patient may also undergo mechanical ventilation to calm their breathing and to restore their body's homeostatis.

Above are images of the RYR1 receptor and the dantrolene sodium molecule. The dantrolene binds to the RYR1 recpetors binding sites similar to the gases present in the anaesthetics and depresses excitatiion coupling of the receptor. 

Image taken from: www.usworldmeds.com/img/USWMVIAL_MAG.jpg

                           :en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dantrolene3d.png

                           : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PBB_Protein_RYR1_image.jpg

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