Managing pregnancy and anaesthetics in patients with skeletal muscle channelopathies

The skeletal muscle channelopathies are a rare group of inherited diseases which result from the abnormal functioning of voltage-gated ion channels expressed in skeletal muscle. They are made up of non-dystrophic myotonia (NDM) and periodic paralysis (PP). In the UK the prevalence is at least 1.12/100,000 and increasing as our use of next generation sequencing and our rapidly evolving knowledge extends the number of genetically confirmed cases [1]. These diseases are not normally life limiting and therefore the management of these patients during pregnancy and anaesthesia is even more pertinent, especially given the role of ion channels in both these processes.
Source: Neuromuscular Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research