FATAL MALIGNANT HYPERPYREXIA IN A CERVICAL SPINE-INJURED PATIENT

This paper reports a fatal case of malignant hyperpyrexia in a trauma patient who sustained an odontoid fracture in a motor vehicle collision. The accident victim was a previously healthy 16-year old girl who was an unrestrained passenger in the collision. The victim had an uncomplicated neurosurgical fusion on her spine as well as an uneventful tracheostomy and gastrostomy tube placement. She developed pneumonia on hospital day 7, and on hospital day 20 developed a rapid onset fever to 42 deg. C and died later that day. The paper emphasizes that malignant hyperpyrexia is still a diagnosis of exclusion that has hyperthermia as the initiating event, and can lead to a series of devastating and potentially fatal consequences, and clearly points to the need to perform an exhaustive and immediate workup for extreme fevers in the critically ill patient.

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• Corporate Authors:

  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

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• Authors:
  • Steele, S R
  • Martin, M J
  • Mullenix, P S
  • Long, W B
  • Gubler, K D
• Publication Date: 2005-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 375-377
• Serial:
  • Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care
  • Volume: 58
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 0022-5282

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Crash victims; Fatalities; Injuries; Spinal column
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00988207
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 23 2005 12:00AM