7 2 • 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
H
ow do
you
keep
your
staff
ready to respond to a
rare but potentially
deadly event like
malignant hyperther-
mia? Practice drills. In
2015, we put together
a formal MH response plan and have conducted simulations in each of
the past 2 years. During both drills, we exposed a few weak links that
should help us improve our ability to respond in the event of an MH
crisis. Here's what we learned.
Don't assume your OR team is familiar with MH. Before our first simu-
lation, we learned that most of our staff was unaware of their roles in an
MH crisis. We ordered instructional materials from the Malignant
Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) and updated
our existing MH cart according to MHAUS guidelines with the proper
Closing gaps in
your malignant
hyperthermia drills
now could be a
lifesaver later.
Rachel Miller Abanilla,
BSN, RN, CNOR
Houston, Texas
• MH PRACTICE DRILLS Let staff members practice reconstituting expired vials of dantrolene.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
Optimize Your
MH Response