Malignant Hyperthermia Paper

yoga crna · Nov 9, 2005

Andy,

I had a patient with MH in a plastic surgery office. She was having a rhinoplasty under general anesthesia, was intubated with a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant and did well during the surgery. Her temperature was normal until the end of the surgery when it went up to over 40 C. Her muscles were totally contracted and the carbon dioxide absorber turned purple very quickly. Please note that this was a number of years ago before end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring and Dantrolene. We treated her with surface cooling, cold IV fluids and hyperventilation. Transported her to a hospital to ICU where she improved and survived.

Several years later she had hernia surgery in the hospital under spinal anesthesia and had another hyperthermia incident in the recovery room after meperdine administration. A subsequent muscle biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia.

Now we have dantrolene, a protocol and do a mock MH drill yearly with our RNs. At that time, I was the only one who knew what was happening and the nurses were clueless and practically useless.

It was one of the days that makes me worth the money I get to administer anesthesia, without apology.

Yoga

Ti

BeatOU · Nov 9, 2005

Thanks a bunch. I've enjoyed learning about MH and I will use your post.

One of the things I enjoy about physiology is the intricate cellular activity. It seems understanding physiology at the cellular level is going to be a major portion of my studies as a SRNA. I am excited to begin.

Again, thanks for taking the time to type out a response.

Andy

Mommy TeleRN, RN · Nov 9, 2005

Hi..

I had an episode when I was 3. I really should do the testing to be sure whether or not i have it. I always put it down just in case.

Did you look at the MH site? You can google and it will probably be first to pop up, they are doing a lot of new research. There is now a new test for it too that just became available this year that I believe is specifically tied to the genetics of it.

I can't remember but I'm pretty sure my cousin had an episode too. I can't ask my mom because we don't speak LOL

Fibromyalgia also runs in our family and I know some people wonder about a possible connection with MH.

It's definitely an interesting subject... I wish you welll with CRNA schooling!

HawaiiRRTRN · Nov 9, 2005

Andy,

Don't have any first hand experience with MH, however, one of our Anesthesiologists/Intensivists gave an imprompto inservice on this topic just last week. She gave a brief rundown on the patho and talked about recognition and treatment, which I'm sure you are already well aware of. What was interesting in her talk was the fact that here in Hawaii we don't have a large population of the "typical" MH suspect patients which she mentioned as being European, particularly Scandanavian, etc. She did say she has seen it in Asian (Japanese, Filipino) populations and just wanted us to be aware and know it was not limited to people of European desent.

Noticed you said you were "in the thick of the interview process" for CRNA school and working on your BSN. Have you been able to interview without completeing your BSN? If so, at which schools? I thought completion of a BSN was required before applying, but I could be wrong. Thanks...

Hope this helps...

HawaiiRRTRN

BeatOU · Nov 13, 2005

thanks to everyone's help...

I have a bachelors in another field and some schools say that's fine as long as i am getting my bsn, two other schools said that that was not ok...

jabsmom · Nov 13, 2005

The website mentioned in the earlier part of the thread is very informative. Good luck to you in the interview process. When I was getting my ADN 25 years ago, half of my class were students who hab Chemistry or Biology degrees who were getting their "RN" so they could continue toward the goal of CRNA> ALL of them have been CRNA's for over 20 years. Now I am the fun of all their jokes when we see each other..since I am now ready to convert with them to CRNA> But then I remind them that I was only 18 when I completed my ADN so I have a few good years left!

Whatever or whenever you decide to go for your dream..the only thing that matters is that you work hard to accomplish it! Best of luck to you and the info on MH has been helpful!