Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United
States Bestows Awards Advancing Education, Treatment,
and Research
December 7, 2004
Contact:
Al Rothstein (866) 636-3342
Las Vegas, NV - At the recent American Society
of Anesthesiologists conference in Las Vegas, Nevada,
the following outstanding contributors were recognized
by the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the
United States:
MH Hotline Partnership Awards
Joseph Tobin, MD of Wake Forest School of Medicine
in Winston-Salem,North Carolina, and Joseph Lucero,
MD of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
in Iowa City, Iowa, were the recipients of the
2004 MH Hotline Partnership Awards. This
award recognizes special cases in which the 24/7
MH Hotline was used to solve MH cases in real time
via telephone or Internet.
The case for which they were selected involved
a six year old boy who experienced symptoms of
an MH episode during surgery. When Dr.Lucero called
Dr. Tobin, the boy was in the PICU and had been
treated with Dantrolene. They eventually
concluded that the case was probably not MH, but
they recommended the family wear ID bracelets until
a muscle biopsy could be obtained for a diagnosis.
Special Recognition for Outstanding Service
Awards
Keith Ruskin, MD, Associate Professor Anesthesiology
at Yale University School of Medicine received
a Special Recognition for Outstanding Service Award
for creating and maintaining an Internet discussion
listserve for Malignant Hyperthermia Hotline Consultants
and the MH Professional Advisory Council. Henry
Rosenberg, MD, President of the Malignant Hyperthermia
Association of the United States called this Internet
discussion list "an important tool ” in coming
to consensus about MH.
For translation of MHAUS educational brochures
into Spanish, Dr. Ernesto Rojas, MD of Colombia,
South America, also received a Special Recognition
for Outstanding Service Award. Dr.Rosenberg
cited Dr. Rojas for being "the point person in
making sure people are knowledgeable about MH in
South America.”
Media Award
This year's MHAUS Media Award recognized Ralph
Steinhauer of Midcontinent Communications in Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, for the creation of a Malignant
Hyperthermia public service announcement that is
now receiving nationwide airplay. Mr. Steinhauer
is member of an MH family and volunteered to create
the PSA when contacted by MHAUS during our media
campaign.
Daniel Massik - MHAUS Anesthesiology Resident
Awards
The Daniel MassikMHAUS Anesthesiology Resident
Awards were established through the generosity
of an MHAUS founder, George Massik, in memory of
his son Daniel. First place went to Tobias
Podranski of the University of Berne Inselspital
Department of Anesthesiology in Bern, Switzerland
for his manuscript entitled “Compartmental
Pharmokinetics of Dantrolene in Adults: Do Malignant
Hyperthermia Association Dosing Guidelines Work?”
Dr.Rosenberg said the work of Dr.Podranski will “change
our recommendations in the treatment of patients
after an MH event.”
T.Kyle Harrison, of Stanford University in California
took second place for “The Use of a Cognitive
Aid for the Treatment of Malignant Hyperthermia.” His
work regarded how often, and how well, the team
used a cognitive aid during a simulation.
Dedicated Long-Term Service
Also recognized for 20 years of serving on the
MH Hotline were Michael Adragna, MD, Department
of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences of SUNY at Buffalo; and Denise Wedel,
MD, Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota.
About MHAUS
MHAUS (www.mhaus.org)
is dedicated to reducing morbidity and mortality
of MH by 1) improving medical care related to MH,
2) providing support information for patients and
3) improving the scientific understanding and research
related to MH and other kinds of heat-related syndromes.