title: The relative frequency of hypomagnesemia in outpatients with chronic airflow limitation treated at a referral center in the north of the state of Paraná, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relative frequency of hypomagnesemia among patients with chronic airflow limitation treated as outpatients at a referral center in the northern part of the state of Paraná between 2000 and 2001, as well as to determine whether hypomagnesemia correlates with hypoxia, with other electrolyte disturbances and with the severity of airflow limitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive study of the relative frequency of hypomagnesemia in 72 patients with chronic airflow limitation. All of the patients were submitted to blood tests to determine serum levels of magnesium and other electrolytes, as well as to staging of the underlying disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of hypomagnesemia was 27.8%. The mean age was 65 +/- 9.9 years, and there was a predominance of males. The mean forced expiratory volume in one second was 1.31 +/- 0.52 L. Most of the patients (68.1%) were found to be in the advanced stages of the disease. Hypomagnesemia was not found to correlate with other electrolyte disturbances, hypoxemia or disease stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high frequency of patients in the advanced stages is likely attributable to the fact that the outpatient facility is a referral center for the region. Further studies should be conducted in order to determine the probable causes of this high prevalence of hypomagnesemia.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Norte do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil. alcindoneto@sercomtel.com.br
authors.forename: Alcindo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerci Neto
authors.forename: Olavo Franco
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Ferreira Filho
authors.forename: Johnathan de Sousa
authors.initials: Jde S
authors.lastname: Parreira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D008274:Magnesium