2 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J U LY 2 0 1 7
W
hen you answer
hundreds of calls
made to the emer-
gency hotline of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association
of the Unites States (MHAUS), like I have, most questions
fall into 1 of 3 categories.
• Is this correct? Most involve surgical teams responding perfectly to an MH
event that simply want confirmation that they're following proper protocols.
• How much dantrolene? Other callers want to review the dosing amounts
before administering it to stricken patients.
• OMG! Where do we begin? Then there are the scary calls, the ones that
keep me up at night. On the other end of the line I hear yelling, confusion and
panic. No one is taking control of the situation because everyone is unsure of
what to do next. I always think about how those surgical teams probably
Manning the MHAUS Hotline
Answers to 10 common questions about malignant hyperthermia.
Charles B. Watson, MD, FCCM
Bridgeport, Conn.
• HONEST ASSESSMENT Your malignant hyperthermia response plan should be specific to your facility's resources, available manpower and location.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
