Last week, as I observed the "Turn off cell phones when in hospital" signs near the hospital entrances and elevators, it occurred to me that there is one situation when having your cell phone with you and using it in the hospital may be lifesaving.

That would be in the case of an anesthetized patient developing Malignant Hyperthermia (MH). This is an exceedingly rare (most anesthesiologists will never see a case in their lifetime) but often fatal syndrome in which a patient's body temperature begins to rise rapidly in the presence of certain anesthetics.

Unless the temperature elevation is recognized and aggressively treated with extreme cooling measures and a drug called Dantrolene, the elevated temperature leads to cardiac arrhythmias and arrest, and a likely death on the OR table.

The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) was created as a central clearinghouse for information regarding this syndrome. Perhaps its most notable feature is a 24/7/365 hotline manned at all times by an anesthesiologist who is an expert in MH.

I've got the number - 1-800-MH-HYPER (1-800-644-9737) - on my cellphone, and you can bet that if I ever see a patient's temperature suddenly shooting up, the phone's coming out of my fanny pack and I'm speed-dialing MHAUS right from the head of the OR table.