Creation and Implementation of a Preoperative Malignant Hyperthermia Screening Tool
Tirzah Johnson1, Virginia C Simmons, Sharon Figer Schwartz
1Anesthesiology Department, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville, North Carolina (Dr Johnson); Nurse Anesthesia Program, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina (Drs Simmons and Tola); and Anesthesiology Department, Duke Regional Hospital, Durham, North Carolina (Ms Figer Schwartz).
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
|November 20, 2021
Summary
Implementing a new screening tool for malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS) can help identify at-risk patients. This quality improvement project demonstrated the tool
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacogenetics
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder.
- Triggered by specific anesthetic agents, MH susceptibility (MHS) lacks standardized preoperative screening.
- Current methods fail to identify individuals at risk for MH.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance preoperative screening for MHS.
- Implement an evidence-based screening tool across two healthcare sites.
- Improve patient safety by identifying MHS individuals before surgery.
Main Methods:
- Prospective descriptive quality improvement (QI) project.
- Anesthesia professionals integrated an MHS screening tool into preoperative interviews.
- Evaluation of the tool's implementation and impact on anesthesia plans.
Main Results:
- Screened 95 patients at site A and 234 at site B.
- Successfully identified 21 patients with MHS.
- Modified one anesthetic plan based on screening results.
Conclusions:
- The MHS screening tool shows potential for MH episode prevention.
- Consistent staff utilization is key to successful implementation.
- QI initiatives can improve patient safety in anesthesia.
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