Wednesday afternoon started off like any busy afternoon in the Surgery Center world. Danielle received a patient from the operating room and did her post-operative assessment, which was normal. Approximately fifteen minutes later, Danielle was doing another round of vitals when she noticed the patient's heart rate was rising and his temperature had risen significantly. Danielle recognized these as symptoms of Malignant Hyperthermia (MH), an extremely rare and potentially fatal reaction to general anesthesia.
Danielle immediately notified the anesthesiologist and the nurse manager. A team of anesthesiologists and nurses quickly gathered around the patient. Due to the concern for MH, treatment was initiated and the patient was transferred to a nearby ER where it was determined the patient was definitely most-likely suffering from MH and was able to quickly continue life-saving treatment. Without Danielle's recognition of the symptoms and quick actions, the patient would not have survived.