Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)
Title
Academic Term
Fall 2014
Document Type
Project
Course Number
NURS 5330
Course Name
Advanced Pathophysiology
Professor’s Name
John D. Chovan, James R. Cacchillo
Keywords
Malignant Hyperthermia, Medical Emergencies
Subject Categories
Anesthesiology | Medical Pathology | Nursing
Abstract
A crisis of malignant hyperthermia is a medical emergency, and must be treated immediately with a coordinated, multidisciplinary team response in order to give the patient the highest chance for a successful recovery (Dirksen, Van Wicklin, Mashman, Neiderer, & Merritt, 2013). Malignant hyperthermia is defined by Bandschapp & Girard (2012), as “a disturbance of the skeletal muscle calcium homeostasis, triggered by volatile anaesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants.” Once a vulnerable patient is exposed to one of these triggering agents, a pathologic hypermetabolic response ensues, and the patient has a rapid increase in oxygen consumption and expired carbon dioxide, hyperthermia, acidosis, muscle rigidity, and hyperkalemia (Bandschapp & Girard, 2012). The event of malignant hyperthermia is very rare, but can easily progress to a life-threatening situation (Cain, Riess, Gettrust, & Novalija, 2014). Many clinicians are unprepared to manage and treat the event because of its rarity and the use of low-frequency, high risk skill set (Cain, Riess, Gettrust, & Novalija, 2014). Dirksen, Van Wicklin, Mashman, Neiderer, & Merritt (2013), claim that malignant hyperthermia occurs in approximately 1:3,000-50,000 procedures in which general anesthetics are used.
Recommended Citation
Poncsak, Devin, "Malignant Hyperthermia" (2014). Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN). 23.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_msn/23
Included in
Anesthesiology Commons, Medical Pathology Commons, Nursing Commons