Answer: b
The reason: It's safe to operate on patients who've had a MH
episode in the past or with a family history of the condition so long
as you take certain precautions. First, move the MH cart into the OR
for more immediate
access to its supplies.
Second, attach com-
mercially available
charcoal filters,
which can be kept in
the MH cart, to the
anesthesia machine's
breathing circuit. The
filters absorb trace
amounts of triggering
agents that remain in
the circuit in prepa-
ration for using it on
MH-susceptible
patients. The filters
can also be inserted
into the breathing cir-
cuit during a MH cri-
sis to remove volatile
anesthetic gases as
the anesthesia
provider hyperventi-
lates the patient with
100% oxygen at flows
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 9
