SVA llamó a la calma ante posible susceptibilidad de pacientes venezolanos a ciertos anestésicos
La SVA hizo un llamado a la tranquilidad ante las noticias sobre una eventual mayor susceptibilidad a ciertos anestésicos generales
TL;DR
- The Venezuelan Society of Anesthesiology (SVA) released a statement addressing a potential increased susceptibility to certain general anesthetics in people of Venezuelan origin.
- The concern stems from research identifying a rare genetic variant (m.11232T>C) in mitochondrial DNA, linked to the mtND4 gene.
- This variant may increase cellular vulnerability to inhaled anesthetics such as sevoflurano, leading to severe neurological complications in rare cases.
- Documented cases have shown severe symptoms including basal ganglia necrosis, delayed awakening, permanent neurological damage, and death after routine surgeries.
- The SVA stressed that sevoflurano has been used successfully in over 1.2 billion people globally without similar reports.
- Available records indicate a pattern in affected cases, sharing a direct maternal lineage from the Carabobo state in Venezuela.
- Preventative measures include informing doctors about maternal inheritance from Carabobo, family history of 'late awakening,' or neurological complications after anesthesia.
- This information can help determine appropriate anesthesia procedures, such as Total Intravenous Anesthesia (TIVA), instead of inhaled agents.
- Since 2021, several severe cases, including four child deaths, have been reported, particularly in Chile, with other cases in Spain and the United States.
- The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) issued official alerts in January 2026 recommending inquiries into Venezuelan maternal lineage and extreme anesthetic precautions.
- The SVA is leading a multidisciplinary effort to further study this phenomenon and develop safety protocols, collaborating with various Venezuelan institutions and international specialists.