This course will provide an insightful look at a rare life threatening syndrome. Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is triggered by the use of anesthetic agents including inhalation anesthetics and the neuromuscular agent succinylcholine. Approximately one half of cases are associated with an inherited autosomal dominate disorder that is unmasked while undergoing anesthesia. It occurs in one in 5,000 to 50,000 instances in which people are given anesthetics. This presentation will include: a basic overview of MH, the importance of pre-procedural assessment as it relates to MH, causes and preventative measures for MH, signs and symptoms associated with a MH crisis, treatment modalities used to successfully respond to this potentially fatal complication, and emergency equipment necessary to manage a MH crisis. Open discussion will wrap up this presentation.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.