Monitoring of serum ionized magnesium in neurosurgical intensive care unit: preliminary results.
BACKGROUND
Our purpose was to determine the values for serum ionized magnesium (Mg) concentrations in traumatic brain injury and its effect on the prognostic scores of patients.


METHODS
We prospectively measured serum ionized magnesium concentrations in 30 patients that were classified into three groups (severe, moderate, mild) by Glasgow Coma Scale Score. Serum ionized magnesium concentrations were measured during posttraumatic 5 days. Thirty patients with head trauma were followed in a neurosurgical intensive care unit with monitoring serum ionized magnesium concentrations. All patients were treated conservatively.


RESULTS
We found significant difference of serum ionized magnesium concentrations when we compared all groups with each other (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Based on this clinical preliminary study, traumatic brain injury is associated with graded deficit in serum ionized magnesium concentrations. Thus, measurement of serum ionized magnesium concentrations can be used as a clinical marker in traumatic brain injury.
Kahraman
Serdar
S
Department of Neurosurgery, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, 06018 Etlik-, Ankara, Turkey. skahraman@gata.edu.tr
Ozgurtas
Taner
T
Kayali
Hakan
H
Atabey
Cem
C
Kutluay
Turker
T
Timurkaynak
Erdener
E
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000097:blood; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures
D015415:Biomarkers; D008274:Magnesium