BUSM’s Department of Anesthesiology Producing Educational Materials on Malignant Hyperthermia

The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the U.S. has selected BUSM’s Department of Anesthesiology to produce digital educational materials related to the diagnosis and treatment of malignant hyperthermia (MH), a potentially fatal condition.

MH is a genetic condition that occurs when a patient is given certain types of anesthetics resulting in dangerously high body temperatures that may cause irreversible damage and death.

“Medical centers across the country must be prepared to manage such a crisis and operating rooms are mandated to be properly equipped and staff adequately trained,” said Rafael Ortega, MD, professor of anesthesiology and vice-chair of academic affairs in the Department of Anesthesiology.

The department’s media lab has been producing digital educational materials including all of the multimedia components for one of the leading textbooks in anesthesiology and videos in clinical medicine for The New England Journal of Medicine. Also, Ortega has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation for a program on pulse oximetry he and his colleagues developed that the WHO is using to improve surgical safety for patients worldwide.

“Our department is a leader in producing high quality multimedia training materials,” noted Ortega. “We have developed an important expertise in medical simulation and computer-assisted instruction.”