MHAUS Newsletter, August 2009
In this issue:

Two MH Mini-Conferences Scheduled for September 19 & 26

Are you a medical professional who needs to further prepare for a malignant hyperthermia (MH) episode in your OR?  Are you a health care student who may be familiar with MH but has not experienced an actual case or perhaps even a mock preparation?  Or are you a member of the public who suspects that your family may be susceptible to MH?

If you answered yes, or even maybe, to any of these questions, an MH mini-conference will be extremely beneficial to you.  The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) in conjunction with Tampa General Hospital are presenting the conference: Malignant Hyperthermia - Let's Save a Life" on Saturday, September 19, 2009, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 North Laird Avenue, Oklahoma, City, OK.  To register, visit http://medical.mhaus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/eShop.ItemGroupDetail/ItemGroupPK/18CF33BD-19B9-EB12-B0E322C0E41B0DC3.cfm

A second MH mini-conference will be available on Saturday, September 26, 2009, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at NYSNA Association, 11 Cornell Road, Latham, NY.  To register, visit http://shop.mhaus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/eShop.ItemGroupDetail/ItemGroupPK/803F5EFA-63E8-49E6-9DE128C39BBD6B49.cfm

There will be medical and scientific updates, with an opportunity to ask questions of MH experts, as well as patients and their family members who have experienced the effects of MH.  

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MHAUS Recognition Reception Scheduled for October 19

You are cordially invited to attend the upcoming Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States “Recognition Reception” on October 19, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel Bayside C Room, 4th Floor 500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA.

 

The annual reception is an opportunity for friends of MHAUS to get together and at the same time honor those who have contributed to our goal of improving patient care related to MH and related disorders.  The reception honors the 2009 Hotline Partnership Award, given to highlight the partnership between a Hotline Consultant and a Medical Professional contacting the MH Hotline for help; the Daniel Massik – MHAUS Anesthesiology Residents Award; and the Outstanding Dedication to MHAUS Award.  A variety of other awards will be awarded as well as a brief update on progress in MH research and patient care.

 

The reception will be held from 6:00 – 8:30 pm during the Annual ASA Meeting.  Please RSVP by September 18 via phone to (607) 674-7901, fax to (607) 674-7910, or email Gloria@mhaus.org.

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MHAUS Attends Canadian Anesthesiologist Society Annual Meeting

MHAUS attended the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society (CAS) Annual Meeting on June 26-30 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.

 

“We set up the ‘Faces of MH’ booth in the exhibition hall and handed out informational material about malignant hyperthermia and MHAUS,” said Dianne Daugherty, MHAUS Executive Director.

 

Canadians do not have an organization similar to MHAUS in their country that distributes information about malignant hyperthermia to medical professionals and the public.  By attending the CAS Annual Meeting, MHAUS hopes to broaden its reach and offer MH educational materials for both medical professionals and the Canadian public-at-large.

 

To learn more about the CAS, visit http://www.cas.ca/

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MHAUS Developing MH Mock Drill Kit

You’re in the OR.  The operation is proceeding as expected.  Then, the patient develops severe masseter spasm; it becomes difficult to ventilate and/or intubate; elevation of end tidal CO2 occurs despite proper ventilation and adequate fresh gas flow; the patient’s temperature begins to rise.  You’re in the midst of an MH crisis?  Do you know what to do?  Does everybody in the OR know what to do?

 

MHAUS provides an abundance of information on its website on how to identify and treat an MH emergency.  Hotline Consultants are also just a phone call away.  You can read all the MH information you want and take comfort in knowing an MH expert is just a phone call away.  But this still doesn’t prepare you for experiencing an actual MH crisis.

 

That’s where the MH Mock Drill comes in.  MHAUS is in the process of developing an MH Mock Drill Kit complete with a video and step-by-step procedure for organizing your own MH drill.  As the old adage says, practice makes perfect.  This kit will show you how to practice for an actual MH emergency.

 

“This is a high priority item because many of the callers to MHAUS are asking for it and, as you know, one of the accrediting agencies requires an annual drill for MH for accreditation of an ASC,” said MHAUS President Henry Rosenberg.

 

Visit the ABCs of MH Management at http://medical.mhaus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/OnlineBrochures.Display/BrochurePK/BCD9151D-3048-709E-5A445BC0808B4767.cfm and look for the MH Mock Drill Kit becoming available soon.

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MHAUS Provides Information For Joint Commission Book

MHAUS has provided information on patient safety as it relates to MH for a new book soon to be published by The Joint Commission.  Dianne Daugherty, MHAUS Executive Director, worked closely with representatives of The Joint Commission throughout the summer to provide information specific to MH.

 

“This was a great opportunity to get the word out about MH through a well respected and very recognized organization,” Daugherty said.

 

The mission of The Joint Commission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations.

 

You can learn more about The Joint Commission and access resources at http://www.jointcommission.org/

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