to help me establish a
protocol for the circu-
lating nurse that
clearly defined her
role during an MH
event. I got straight to
the point. The very
first thing I asked
anesthesia was,
"What does the circu-
lating nurse need to
do to assist you in
response to the MH
crisis?" I knew that,
first and foremost, the
circulating nurse
should assist the
anesthetist during an
event.
But what else? We
needed to ensure a
predictable, reliable
response. Our
answer: a checklist
that lists step-by-step
instructions outlining
who does what dur-
ing a MH crisis. The
MH Circulating Nurse
Checklist hangs on
3 6 • 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 7
here is a close-up of some important fea-
tures to include for rapid response to a
malignant hyperthermia crisis.
FULLY STOCKED
What's In Your MH Cart?
• KNOW YOUR ROLE Our role cards are tweaked for spe-
cific areas where a MH event could occur — not just the OR.
• WHAT AND WHERE The checklist and cart
response areas are both on the cart and in the ORs.
• COLD STORAGE The fridge at the bottom of our MH
cart stocked with cold saline, insulin and cold packs.
Photos
by
Jonathan
Rodriguez/UNC
REX
Healthcare
