RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially lethal pharmacogenetic disorder triggered by certain anesthetic agents. There is currently no standardized preoperative screening tool utilized to identify MH-susceptible individuals. LOCAL PROBLEM: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to enhance preoperative screening for MH susceptibility (MHS) by implementing an evidence-based screening tool for surgical patients at 2 sites. METHODS: This prospective descriptive QI project evaluated the success of implementing an MHS screening tool preoperatively and its impact on the anesthesia plan. INTERVENTIONS: Anesthesia professionals included the screening tool in their preoperative interview for surgical patients so that positively screened patients could receive MH prevention measures. RESULTS: A total of 95 patients at site A and 234 patients at site B were screened using the MH tool, a cumulative total of 21 patients were positively screened, and 1 anesthetic plan was altered. CONCLUSIONS: This MHS screening tool has the potential to prevent MH episodes when used consistently by staff.
