Low-dose dantrolene is effective in treating hyperthermia and hypercapnia, and seems not to affect recovery of the allograft after liver transplantation: Case report

Dantrolene is the drug of choice in treatment of malignant hyperthermia. However, dantrolene is hepatotoxic; thus prolonged use is not recommended in patients with active hepatic disease such as acute hepatitis or active cirrhosis because it may result in fatal hepatic failure. Use of dantrolene in a patient with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation (LTx) in whom suspected malignant hyperthermia developed has been reported rarely. Its effect on the liver allograft, which has sustained cold, warm, and reperfusion injuries, is currently unknown. We report a case in which low-dose dantrolene administered intravenously during LTx was effective in treating hyperthermia, hypercapnia, and hyperkalemia. Furthermore, its reported hepatotoxic effect seemed to not affect recovery of the allograft after LTx.