O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 1 1
T
oday might be the day you get called
into the OR to help save a patient
stricken with malignant hyperthermia.
Does that thought fill you with a jolt of panic or calm confidence
in knowing your staff will be well on their way to stabilizing the
patient by the time you arrive?
It's estimated that malignant hyperthermia occurs once in every 100,000 sur-
geries, but don't let that low incidence rate fool you. MH can strike at any
time, without warning, and when it does, it comes on quickly and progresses
even faster. Your surgical team must react like seasoned professionals who've
responded to MH before and know precisely what to do and where to be in an
emergency. If you conduct regular and realistic MH management drills, they'll
Make MH Drills Count
Realistic practice sessions
could someday prove to be life-saving exercises.
Margaret M. Thomas, MSN, BS, RN, CNOR | Bryn Mawr, Pa.
HANDS-ON APPROACH Using expired
vials to practice reconstituting dantrolene
adds realism to drills and familiarizes
staff with the time-sensitive task of
preparing the drug for administration.
