Dantrolene is a muscle relaxant used to treat malignant hyperthermia.
CMS expected the ASC to have 36 vials of the relaxant, which the hospital’s vice president for quality and patient safety found surprising since he said this recommendation is not in CMS regulations but rather the amount suggested by the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS), according to the report.
During the May inspection of the hospital, there was a mock code call of malignant hyperthermia and it took the ASC 33 minutes to obtain the full dose of dantrolene when the MHAUS recommended time is five minutes.
Read the San Bernardino County Sun report about the citation for lack of dantrolene.
View the MHAUS FAQ about dantrolene.
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