Malignant Hyperthermia

I was talking to someone today about my plan to become a Respiratory Therapist. After explaining that one of the roles of a Respiratory Therapist can be to assist Anaesthesiologists in the operating room, she mentioned that she has a rare genetic disorder that makes her susceptible to Malignant Hyperthermia. Apparently she's quite a celebrity when she goes in for surgery. She mentioned that there seem to be a lot of Medical Students around, whenever she goes in for surgery. It's a fairly rare disorder that can have catastrophic health consequences when an affected person undergoes anaesthesia.

There's a good description of Malignant Hyperthermia at the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States web site:
http://www.mhaus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/OnlineBrochures.Display/BrochurePK/8AABF3FB-13B0-430F-BE20FB32516B02D6.cfm