Abstract
Dantrolene is used for reversal of malignant hyperthermia and for improvement in spasticity
following stroke which are Food and Drug Administration-approved indications. It is
an infrequently used medication in the pediatric intensive care unit and is usually
continued from the operating room or sedation suite after suspicion for malignant
hyperthermia, secondary to other medications and anesthetic agents. Hepatitis has
been described as a side effect of the medication after prolonged use and at doses
of more than 100 mg/d mainly in adults. We described in this case report a patient
in which the drug was used for sympathetic overactivity in the PICU and development
of asymptomatic hepatitis on day 3 after starting the medication at a dose much lower
than previously described.
Keywords
dantrolene - spasticity - hepatitis - toxicity
