M a r c h 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 5
E
arly afternoon, about 5½ years ago, a middle-aged man
was admitted to the ICU at the University of North
Carolina REX Healthcare facility to recover after an
elective abdominal surgery. He was there for a little
while when his muscles clenched and his temperature
and heart rate spiked rapidly. The anesthesiologist assigned to the
ICU quickly assessed the patient and determined he was probably
having a malignant hyperthermia (MH) crisis.
But the primary ICU nurse didn't hesitate or freeze because she had
a plan — or a checklist to be specific. The team assisted the ICU
intensivist, who called for the anesthesia tech in the nearest OR to
bring the MH cart. Like a baseball manager, the primary ICU nurse
gave everyone their roles and they sprang into action. They adminis-
tered the dantrolene and stabilized the patient — and he survived.
Our staff is trained to respond to a malignant hyperthermia event
anywhere in our 7-floor hospital. OR, ER, ICU, everyone knows their
role and the locations of our 5 strategically stationed MH carts. How
about you? Would your team save an MH patient's life? Could they
quickly identify the MH event and treat the patient with dantrolene?
The faster you can diagnose and deliver the antidote, the greater the
likelihood of having a successful outcome.
How we got there
We didn't always have
a protocol to follow. In
2012, I approached the
anesthesia department
colleen Bradley, BSN, rN, cNOr | raleigh, N.c.
Is your staff prepared to swing
into action to save a patient's life?
Download an MH Checklist
For step-by-step instructions outlining what
needs to be done during an Mh event, download
UNc rEX's Mh circulating Nurse checklist at
outpatientsurgery.net/forms.
