title: Hypophosphataemia in general practice patients.
abstract: We compared plasma phosphate concentrations in general practice patients and hospital inpatients and outpatients over an 8-month period. The distribution of results in all three groups was similar and 12-16% of results were at or below 0.8 mmol/L. In general practice patients, 8.3% of results from males and 12.1% from females were below the lower limit of their respective reference ranges. Eighteen of these patients (0.2% of results) had plasma phosphate concentrations < or = 0.4 mmol/L. On follow-up, only two of these patients had any attributable cause for their severe hypophosphataemia; in the remainder, it was unexpected and unexplained. Hypophosphataemia in outpatients and general practice patients is more common than has previously been appreciated. We present a strategy for further investigation of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Hope Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olukoga
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horsman
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McMurray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017674:Hypophosphatemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology