Anesthesia Technician Practice Exam 2026 – All-In-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

Increasing the patient's heart rate is not a step in treating Malignant Hyperthermia. This condition is a life-threatening reaction to certain anesthesia agents, characterized by a rapid increase in body temperature and severe muscle contractions. The primary actions taken to manage Malignant Hyperthermia focus on reducing the elevated temperature and reversing the hypermetabolic state of the muscles.

Administering dantrolene is a crucial step, as it acts to decrease calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle, thereby alleviating the hypermetabolic crisis. Utilizing cooling devices is also essential in managing high body temperatures that can reach dangerous levels during an episode. Providing medications as clinically indicated includes other supportive treatments that may enhance patient stability.

Therefore, while increasing heart rate can be a natural physiological response to stress, it is not a therapeutic goal in the management of Malignant Hyperthermia, where the emphasis is instead on controlling the hypermetabolic state and protecting the patient from further complications.