Serum Magnesium in Critically Ill Patients and Its Correlation With Outcome

Abstract

BACKGROUNDHypomagnesaemia is an emerging electrolyte disturbance in hospitalised patients, especially in critically ill ones and it has been shown to predict mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). This study was aimed to find the impact of admission serum magnesium levels and patient outcome considering mortality, need and duration of ventilator support, length of stay in ICU and APACHE II score. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe present one-year prospective study was conducted in ICU of Department of Medicine, SCB MCH, Cuttack. A total of 100 patients from December 2016 to November 2017 were included in the study. Patients were divided as hypomagnesaemics and normomagnesaemics basing on their serum magnesium values. RESULTSOn admission 68 out of 100 (i.e. 68%) had normomagnesaemia, 28 out of 100 (i.e. 28%) had hypomagnesaemia and 4 out of 100 (4%) had hypermagnesaemia. The patient with hypomagnesaemia compared with patients of normomagnesaemia had higher mortality rate (64.28% vs. 22.06%), higher APACHE II score on admission (29.6 vs. 24.3), a more frequent hypoalbuminaemia and sepsis, and also more duration of hospital stay. There was low GCS (5 -10) in 96.42% of patients with hypomagnesaemia, but only 45.58% of patients with normomagnesaemia. CONCLUSIONThe present study showed patients with hypomagnesaemia at admission are significantly at high risk of mortality, requirement of prolonged ventilator support and longer duration of ICU stay and also predict higher APACHE II score.