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June 2002
Volume 66 |
Number 6
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| MHAUS Presents
9th Annual Hotline Partnership Award |
Katherine O. Riess, Editor
The Communicator (the official newsletter of MHAUS)
Linda Millman Guller, MHAUS Public Relations Representative
Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS)
Hotline Consultant Charles B. Watson, M.D., Bridgeport Hospital,
Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Thomas R. Peterson, M.D., T.C. Thompson
Children's Hospital, Chattanooga, Tennessee, were the recipients
of the Ninth Annual Hotline Partnership Award in recognition of
their outstanding teamwork in saving the life of an infant.
Dr. Watson, Dr. Peterson and two pediatric intensivists at T.
C. Thompson Children's Hospital, Gregory Talbott, M.D., and Patrick
Keegan, M.D., successfully managed the case of a five-month myopathic
female who triggered a malignant hyperthermia (MH) episode while
general anesthesia was induced to undergo magnetic resonance imaging.
Dr. Peterson immediately recognized the MH symptoms, including
extreme rigidity, increased temperature and end-tidal carbon dioxide,
and acidosis. He directed his team, including Dr. Talbott, to
follow the MH protocol. Once the baby was stabilized, Dr. Peterson
called the MH Hotline to report the MH episode and seek further
advice. The baby was transferred to the pediatric intensive care
unit (PICU) under the care of Dr. Talbott and Dr. Keegan.
"This was my first MH case in 17 years and the first time
that I have been directly involved with MHAUS and the MH Hotline,"
Dr. Peterson recounts. "When the baby triggered MH, she was
so rigid it seemed she could be picked up by her ankles and held
parallel to the floor. Our team response was nothing short of
fantastic. We were in a remote location and had all the resources
available, including a fully stocked MH cart with dantrolene,
to immediately treat the infant. I now look back at my residencies
and am thankful that I have the training to effectively identify
and manage MH," Dr. Peterson said. "Dr. Talbott and
Dr. Keegan continued administering dantrolene during the postoperative
period and spoke on several occasions to MH Hotline Consultant
Dr. Watson to get ongoing guidance and consultation regarding
MH management and correct dantrolene dosing for the infant when
MH symptoms returned in the PICU," he continues. "I
am happy to report that the patient fully recovered from the episode
and has undergone subsequent successful procedures with nontriggering
agents. My thanks to the people of the MHAUS organization and
their efforts, which clearly paid off in this instance."
"This was the first full-blown case of MH that I have treated,"
Dr. Talbott stated. "MH is unpredictable: There are no rules
for the clinical course of MH-related events that follow the initial
episode. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Watson. Dr.
Watson greatly helped Dr. Keegan and me anticipate what to expect
over the next several days so that we could properly identify
and treat the recurring MH symptoms to stabilize the baby. His
expert guidance was comforting and totally on target. Dr. Watson
and MHAUS came through for this little girl. I now keep the MH
Hotline number immediately accessible in my Palm Pilot."
Dr. Watson recalled that "Drs. Peterson, Talbott and Keegan
and their teams did a first-rate job of quickly identifying MH
and following the MH protocol, including the administration of
dantrolene. I believe that this case clearly illustrates the immeasurable
value of the MH Hotline system. The Hotline triage staff processed
and communicated a wealth of information during the initial call
from Dr. Peterson and helped to coordinate and process the subsequent
follow-up calls between the doctors at T.C. Thompson Hospital
and me to help achieve a successful outcome.
"Right now, thanks to the efforts and research of MHAUS,
MH is almost 100 percent treatable," Dr. Watson added. "Collectively,
the MH Hotline Consultants have more experience with MH than any
one clinician or medical center. I am proud to be an active member
of this life-saving organization."
MHAUS President Henry Rosenberg, M.D., concluded, "Over
the last 11 years, Dr. Watson has been a dedicated member of the
MHAUS Hotline and is now the chair of our Quality Assurance Committee.
The effective management of this case significantly illustrates
Dr. Watson's expertise in guiding medical professionals to effectively
identify and manage MH throughout its clinical course to help
reduce morbidity and mortality." Dr. Watson also advised
the doctors about how to register this case with the North American
Malignant Hyperthermia Registry of MHAUS and to refer the patient's
family to a regional biopsy center and MHAUS for further information
about MH.
Other consultants who were honored at the breakfast included:
Steven C. Hall, M.D., Edwin W. Lojeski, D.O., and Daniel I. Sessler,
M.D., for 15 years of service; Barbara W. Brandom, M.D., James
W. Chapin, M.D., and Harvey K. Rosenbaum, M.D., for 10 years of
service; and Lena S. Sun, M.D., for five years of service. Our
congratulations and sincere appreciation to all.
For more information on MHAUS, telephone the General Information
Line at (607) 674-7901.
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