3 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 8
CHEAT SHEET
These are the
essential
response proto-
cols to put in
motion as soon
as you recognize
the early warning
signs of a malig-
nant hyperther-
mia event,
according to the
Malignant
Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS). Keep
this list handy by posting it near or on your MH carts:
1. Notify the surgeon to halt the procedure. Discontinue volatile
agents and succinylcholine. If surgery must be continued, main-
tain general anesthesia with IV non-triggering anesthetics, like IV
sedatives, opioids, amnestics and non-depolarizing neuromuscu-
lar blockers, as needed.
2. Retrieve the MH cart and your stock of dantrolene. Call for
help within your institution and call the MHAUS Hotline (800-644-
9737) for additional advice. MHAUS also recommends calling 911
if you're responding to a crisis in a surgery center.
3. Hyperventilate the patient with 100% oxygen at flows of
Act Fast When MH Strikes
