health
Sociedad Venezolana de Anestesiología pide calma ante reacciones de pacientes afectados por anestesia
La Sociedad Venezolana de Anestesiología (SVA) emitió un comunicado informativo para calmar inquietudes en la comunidad nacional sobre una posible susceptibilidad a anestésicos generales en pacientes de origen venezolano.
TL;DR
- A rare genetic variant (m.11232T>C) in mitochondrial DNA has been identified, affecting the mtND4 gene.
- This mutation may increase cellular vulnerability to inhaled anesthetics, particularly sevoflurano.
- Affected individuals can experience severe neurological complications, including permanent damage or death.
- The condition is extremely rare, with sevoflurano successfully administered to over 1.2 billion people worldwide without similar incidents.
- Most reported cases are linked to a direct maternal lineage from Carabobo, Venezuela.
- Mitochondrial inheritance is exclusively maternal; patients with maternal ancestry from Carabobo or a history of anesthetic complications should inform their anesthesiologist.
- Preventive measures include using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) instead of inhaled agents.
- The Venezuelan Society of Anesthesiology is collaborating with national and international institutions on genomic studies.
- International reports since 2021, particularly from Chile, and alerts from US anesthesiology societies in 2026 highlighted potential neurological damage in patients of Venezuelan maternal descent.
- Anesthesiology societies recommend inquiring about Venezuelan maternal lineage and taking precautions, such as avoiding inhaled anesthetics.