Mayo Clinic uses DNA screening to prevent life-threatening reactions during anesthesia

Dr. Adam Jacob has spent his career keeping patients safe in the operating room. As a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist, he closely monitors every heartbeat and breath, adjusting anesthesia and responding to subtle changes in the body during surgery. But one risk does not appear on monitors or in a patient's medical history: malignant hyperthermia. The rare, inherited condition can be triggered by certain anesthesia drugs, causing rapid muscle breakdown and a dangerous rise in body temperature. Without prompt treatment, it can be fatal. Anesthesia teams are trained to recognize malignant hyperthermia, and a lifesaving antidote is kept in every location where anesthesia is administered. The risk is written into a person's DNA. ____________________________________________ FOR THE PUBLIC: More health and medical news on the Mayo Clinic News Network. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/ FOR THE MEDIA ONLY: To access clean and NAT sound versions of this video on the Mayo Clinic News Network, register at https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/request-account/ Mayo Clinic: https://mayocl.in/3tNMAdF Like Mayo Clinic on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MayoClinic Follow Mayo Clinic on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mayoclinic/ Follow Mayo Clinic on X, formerly Twitter: https://x.com/MayoClinic Follow Mayo Clinic on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mayoclinic