Greetings from Hirosato Kikuchi, the representative of Japan Malignant Hyperthermia Association (Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Saitama Medical University)
Japan Malignant Hyperthermia Association has been successful gathering over 100 members.Many members participate in the activities and help us. We hope that the meeting to be what we have originally planned.Columbus discovered America. However, indigenous people were living in America.It was only a discovery for the westerner. The malignant hyperthermia was first introduced to the medical society by Dr. Denborough of Australia in 1960. Although malignant hyperthermia also existed before his discovery, no one recognized it. So to speak, Dr. Denborough is like Columbus on this matter. Well, as we know the America had existed before Columbus’s discovery, then how about malignant hyperthermia?Morton, an American, has found ether anesthesia in 1846. The ether anesthesia has spread to the world rapidly from the immediate aftermath. However, as a result, the syndrome that had not existed till then has been brought to the world. It is a malignant hyperthermia. Of course, there were people living with a predisposition to malignant hyperthermia without knowing through his or her lifetime. The sickness has been brought to the world due to the appearance of anesthesia, a method enables people to have operation without pain.
Malignant Hyperthermia will disappear from the earth by the time the anesthesia is possible using just anesthetics that do not accompany malignant hyperthermia. Of course, those people living with a predisposition to malignant hyperthermia can spend their life without worrying as before 1846. It is necessary not to increase the victims by the time malignant hyperthermia disappearance in the future. Those who have a predisposition to malignant hyperthermia should acknowledge that he or she is predisposed, and those who engage in medical services should provide safe medical treatment to them.Even if it is a state of emergency, the operation has to be undergone safely. It is the meaning of inauguration of the association.
In general, medical staffs should not establish and manage the patient's association. Fundamentally, the association should be operated by the patients, and for the patients. However, since the number of malignant hyperthermia patient and those with predisposition is small, patients can not take the lead to found and maintain the association. Therefore, we became a center to establish the association.It is not so desirable when thinking of the state how the association of patient should be. Then, we asked COML, Consumer Organization for Medicine & Law, for consultation and to set up an admission desk as well. COML was established in 1990, under the slogan 『Let's become a wise patient. Each one of us is "Hero of the life"』. COML provides telephone consultation service concerning medical treatment. I would like to express my gratitude to chief director Yoshiko Tsujimoto and clerical director Ikuko Yamaguchi of COML for accepting our proposal and instituting inquiry counter it COML. Please contact the Department of Anesthesiology at Saitama Medical University Hospital when direct consultation is necessary regarding malignant hyperthermia.