Desflurane, malignant hyperthermia, and release of compartment syndrome.

We describe a case of suspected malignant hyperthermia in a healthy 20-yr-old man. The patient underwent urgent release of upper extremity compartment syndrome as a result of traumatic vascular injury. After 3 h of general anesthesia with desflurane, he developed a hypermetabolic state (hypercarbia, hyperthermia, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis), consistent with the diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia.