What is malignant hyperthermia and what is the initial treatment?

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Malignant hyperthermia is a genetic predisposition in which skeletal muscle cells malfunction and release calcium in response to certain anesthesia agents, creating a dangerous hypermetabolic state. This drives rapid increases in carbon dioxide production, heart rate, and muscle rigidity, and, if not promptly treated, can lead to severe acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalemia, and organ failure. The first step in management is to stop the triggering agents immediately and administer dantrolene, the antidote that blocks calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and stops the crisis. Supportive care follows: provide 100% oxygen, actively cool the patient, give IV fluids, and monitor and correct electrolyte and acid-base disturbances. The other options don’t fit because malignant hyperthermia is not a benign condition, not primarily caused by infection, and not due to cold exposure.