Hypomagnesemia as a Predictor of Mortality in Critically Ill Trauma Patients

Abstract

Hypomagnesemia has been described as one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities of hospitalized patients as well as the most under diagnosed electrolyte deficiency in current medical practice. ^1,2 Low serum magnesium concentration has been shown to be a common finding in medical, postoperative, and pediatric ICU patients, and to be associated with higher mortality and poorer outcome in these patients. Rubiez et al have shown a 63% incidence of hypomagnesemia detected on admission of 400 acutely ill medical patients being associated with increased mortality.³ Chernow et al reported hypomagnesemia in 61% of 193 postoperative ICU patients, having a higher mortality than similarly ill normo-magnesemic patients, with severe hypomagnesemia (<1 mEq/L) being clinically important.⁴ Ryzen et al studied 94 medical ICU admissions, finding a 65% incidence of magnesium deficiency in patients with normal creatinine.⁵ Broner et al demonstrated a significantly poorer outcome, as measured by either survival or ICU length of stay, in 98 critically ill pediatric patients with either hypermagnesemia (43.3%) or hypocalcemia (17%).⁶