MHAUS Newsletter, August 2006
In this issue:

MHAUS Mini-Conference - A Genuine Benefit for Attendees

Mostly nurses and those from MH-susceptible families turned out for MHAUS' Mini-Conference in Westminster, Maryland on July 15th.  They were given a clear picture of malignant hyperthermia by Richard Kaplan, MD, of Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.  His presentation was a terrific primer for the in-depth presentation on molecular genetics and MH by Sheila Muldoon, MD, Director of MH Diagnostic Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Pittsburgh, PA.  Following that, Deanna Steele, Genetic Counselor Magee Women's Hospital Center for Medical Genetics, also in Pittsburgh, reviewed the basics of genetic counseling and what those who may be candidates for the new MH molecular genetics test will need to know.

The nurses and physician who attended received up to four credit hours.

In what is always an excellent sign of interest, there was a good deal of audience participation at the close of the day's conference.

MHAUS would like to thank its speakers, as well as its Patient Liaison Committee members, particularly Lydia Friedman and Mary Masimore, for their efforts in coordinating the location and the important accreditation process.  Also, we thank Fay Kellogg in the MHAUS office for her constant coordination and follow-up on the process to make this conference the successful event it was.

Ms. Friedman's daughter survived an MH episode during a routine tonsillectomy, and Ms. Masimore is a nurse at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.

Note:  Watch www.mhaus.org for future iPod downloads of selected portions of the session!

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25 Years of Reducing MH Mortality - Our New Silver Anniversary Commemorative Book

This year is the 25th Anniversary of MHAUS' existence and we are developing a commemorative book recognizing a quarter century of patient safety.  We would like to thank those of you who have contributed to our mission of reducing morbidity and mortality by purchasing a congratulatory ad in the book, which will be introduced and available at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting in October 2006 in Chicago.  Those who have purchased one of the 75 ads sold will be sent a copy of the book, which replaces the brochure on MHAUS and its services.

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ASA - Come Celebrate With Us!

During the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting this year, the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States will honor those who have contributed to its progress not only the past year, but over the last 25 years.  MHAUS will commemorate its Silver Anniversary during its reception at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place 2nd floor Conference Center 24C from 7:00-8:30 Monday, October 16.

Awards honoring those during the past year include:

The Daniel Massik Award - Established by George Massik, a founding member of MHAUS, in memory of his son who died from MH. These Awards will provide a stipend of $2,000 for First Place and $1,500 for Second Place to an anesthesia resident/fellow or an anesthesiologist who is within five years of ending his/her training to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Meeting or, in special circumstances, another meeting of similar merit.  The awards will be given to the primary author of the best manuscript concerning, malignant hyperthermia.  The purpose is to stimulate interest in MH research.

MHAUS Media Award - Recognizing the media representative who went above and beyond to understand MH and to help us educate the medical and lay publics.

MHAUS Hotline Partnership Award - This award recognizes special cases in which the 24/7 MH Hotline was used to help save lives, solving MH cases in real time via telephone.

Outstanding Dedication to MHAUS Award - This honors the person who contributed in a unique way to the treatment or prevention of MH during the past year.

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No Shortage of MH Learning at ASA

For the upcoming ASA Annual Meeting, malignant hyperthermia will be the topic in several sessions.  Attendees will see a range of MH topics from hands-on learning experiences of actual MH Hotline cases to just how far we have come in MH diagnosis and treatment during our first 25 years of existence.  Here is a synopsis of the MH sessions and posters.  Some of the following information is directly from the ASA web site.

Poster
During Exhibit Hours on October 15, 16 and 17
Henry Rosenberg, MD
History of MHAUS, focusing on innovations in diagnosis, treatment and prevention over its 25 years of existence.

Sessions:

October 14th, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Controversies in Malignant Hyperthermia: Cases From the MHAUS Hotline
Litman, Ronald S. D.O., Rosenberg, Henry M.D., Tobin, Joseph R. M.D., Kaplan, Richard F. M.D.

October 14, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Intramuscular Halothane Injection at 5 & 6 vol% Detects Probands at Risk for Malignant Hyperthermia
Martin Anetseder, M.D., Annegret Gardill, M.S., Rainer Müller, M.D., Martin Hager, M.D., Norbert Roewer, J.D.
Anesthesiology, Julius-Maximilian-University, Würzburg, Germany

October 15th, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Using the North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry to review MH cases where the presentation began after the surgical procedure ended, describing the clinical characteristics of these cases, and the implications for diagnosing MH postoperatively.
Litman, Ronald S. D.O, Joseph Tobin, MD, Richard Kaplan, MD, Chris Flood, MD

October 16, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Neuromuscular Disorders and the Risk of Malignant Hyperthermia
Stephen J. Gleich, B.S., Denise J. Wedel, M.D., Randall P. Flick, M.D., M.P.H.
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

October 17, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
How Accurate Is Testing for Malignant Hyperthermia?
Thierry Girard, M.D., Soledad Levano, Ph.D., Martine Singer, Anja Matter, Albert Urwyler, M.D.
Departments of Anesthesia and Research, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

October 17, 2006
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Can We Improve on Phenotyping for Malignant Hyperthermia?
Thierry Girard, M.D., Henrik Rueffert, M.D., Alain Li Wan Po, Ph.D.
Departments of Anesthesia and Research, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

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APSF Publishes MHAUS Article on the Impact of a Malignant Hyperthermia Death on a Medical Staff

The sudden, unexpected death of Steven Nook in Milwaukee in January of 2005 shows that no matter how far we have come in the last 25 years, an MH death can still occur.  Steven was a 20-year-old college student who suffered an MH episode while on the operating table, and did not survive.  Thanks to the cooperation of the medical staff at Aurora-Sinai Hospital, as well as Steven's strong family, MHAUS was able to develop an article describing the devastating impact of Steven's death on the hospital staff.  The medical staff was well prepared for an MH episode, but it didn't seem to matter in Steven's case.  Read about why, and how to make sure you are prepared to treat an MH case in the upcoming summer issue of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation's newsletter.  Our thanks to Robert Morell, MD, for publishing our article and in doing so, reaching out to medical staffs everywhere with an important patient safety message.

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Take the Challenge - Test Yourself on the MH Hotline Case of the Month

You are probably aware of perhaps our signature service, our 24/7 MH Hotline, where the medical team can call us at anytime to get live, real time advice on handling an MH episode.  Since February of 2005 we have been posting on our web site our MH Case of the Month, taken from an actual MH Hotline case.  This will challenge you, and help make sure your team is up to date with the latest management tools and techniques for an MH case.  See the latest case and take the challenge!  The answers are posted the following month.  We hope this offers you an invaluable educational experience.

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