Enhancing Malignant Hyperthermia Response via Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice: An In Situ Interprofessional Simulation Quality Improvement Project

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening anesthetic emergency that requires rapid recognition and intervention to prevent severe complications. Delays in treatment can result in poor patient outcomes, making MH preparedness crucial in perioperative care. The aim of this quality improvement project was to enhance perioperative team preparedness for MH crises through in situ simulation using rapid cycle deliberate practice. The project was implemented over five days in a 14-room operating suite and a 31-bed postanesthesia care unit at an academic medical center in the United States. Interprofessional perioperative staff engaged in high-fidelity simulation drills with real-time feedback. The intervention significantly improved team response times and adherence to MH treatment protocols (P < .001), with notable reductions in time to dantrolene administration (P = .018) and cooling measure initiation (P = .011). Results from this project support integration of structured simulation training to enhance preparedness for rare anesthetic emergencies.