Drs. Belani, Capacchione and Kim Publish Article on Malignant Hyperthermia Treatment

Kumar G. Belani, MS, MBBS, John F. Capacchione, MD, and Tae W. Kim, MD, University of Minnesota Medical School Department of Anesthesiology co-authored “Succinylcholine Use and Dantrolene Availability for Malignant Hyperthermia Treatment: Database Analyses and Systematic Review” in Anesthesiology.

The authors investigated succinylcholine use rates, including for airway rescue, in anesthetizing/sedating locations; whether succinylcholine without volatile anesthetics triggers Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) warranting dantrolene; and the relationship between dantrolene administration and MH morbidity/mortality.

“I know it is hard for practitioners to believe that the use of succinylcholine by itself can trigger the serious illness of Malignant Hyperthermia. This carefully conducted review supports the need to have IV dantrolene available in locations where succinylcholine may have to be used,” said Dr. Belani.

Read the full article.