Christopher Edwards, M.D., and Sandra Gonzalez, M.D., both associate professors of anesthesiology, received special recognition for serving as consultants for the Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Hotline, which is a national 24-hour consultation service for MH emergencies provided by the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS). Edwards has served on the hotline for seven years and Gonzalez has served five.
The hotline provides expertise on malignant hyperthermia to clinicians who are actively managing a suspected MH crisis. Consultants offer guidance on MH susceptibility, perioperative planning, and medical management.
While on a call, Edwards, Gonzalez, and other hotline consultants will ask diagnostic questions, help assess the likelihood of MH, and provide recommendations for treatment and management. The hotline handles 800 to 1,000 cases per year, proving to be a critical service to the medical and anesthesiology communities.
Edwards and Gonzalez commit to at least two consecutive two-week periods each year, where they must be available 24 hours a day. The hotline contributions they have made have left a significant impact on patient safety, collegiality, and service to the anesthesiology community.
The University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology houses the North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry for MHAUS. The registry is made up of reports from anesthesiologists whose patients experienced MH, biopsy center directors who conduct MH susceptibility tests, individuals who have had an MH episode or who have undergone genetic testing for MH susceptibility, and family members of those diagnosed with MH.
Many thanks to Drs. Edwards and Gonzalez for their years of service!