MHAUS. They offer wallet cards, bracelets, necklaces. They educate
the industry so well; they do so much great work on the front lines, in
the hospitals, in the surgery centers. But while they're also trying to
raise public awareness of MH, their resources are limited and, rightly,
most of their energy is focused on assisting medical professionals. An
effective national marketing campaign for MH awareness is simply
beyond their scope. So unless you're a medical professional, or have a
6 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 1 9
After I experienced an MH crisis in an
office setting, I focused on how surgery
centers like mine could best prepare
for another. Here are 8 tips:
• Perform mock code drills. Acting
out physically, you'll prepare for things
you might never have imagined. Like,
where's the pen I'll need to jot down
information (put a pen on the cart or
tape it to the book)? How long does it
take to move the MH cart into the OR
(dantrolene must be available for all
anesthetizing locations within 10 min-
utes of the decision to treat for MH)? We
also decided to keep instant ice packs on the cart in case the ice
machine fails the day of an MH disaster.
• Get everyone involved. Administrative, secretaries, nurses,
doctors, X-ray techs: Give them all roles in the drill. Don't let
them just observe. You don't know who'll need to assist during an
PRACTICAL PEARLS
8 Tips to Prepare for an MH Crisis
• PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Marsha
Thornhill, MD, (left) an anesthesiologist at
Teaneck (N.J.) Surgical Center, uses expired
dantrolene to practice reconstituting the MH
reversal drug.
Teaneck
(N.J.)
Surgical
Center
