Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Mnemonic for Malignant hyperthermia treatment


Malignant hyperthermia or malignant hyperpyrexia is a rare life-threatening condition that is usually triggered by exposure to certain drugs used for general anesthesia in the operating room or also occur within the first few hours of recovery from anesthesia; specifically, the volatile anesthetic agents and the neuromuscular blocking agent, succinylcholine.

The syndrome is though to be due to a reduction in the reuptake of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum necessary for termination of muscle contraction. Consequently, muscle contraction is sustained, resulting in signs of hypermetabolism, including acidosis, tachycardia, hypercarbia, glycolisis, hypoxemia, and heat production (hyperthermia).

Remember
"Some Hot Dude Better Give Iced Fluids Fast!"
(Hot dude = hypothermia):

Stop triggering agents
Hyperventilate/ Hundred percent oxygen
Dantrolene (2.5mg/kg)
Bicarbonate
Glucose and insulin
IV Fluids and cooling blanket
Fluid output monitoring/ Furosemide/ Fast heart [tachycardia]

No comments:

Post a Comment