title: Does magnesium matter in patients of Medical Intensive Care Unit: A study in rural Central India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypomagnesemia has been common, but mostly underdiagnosed electrolyte abnormality. Studies regarding this is lacking in India especially in rural setting. Here, we have correlated serum magnesium (Mg) level with outcome in patients of medicine Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with respect to length of ICU stay, need for mechanical ventilatory support and its duration and ultimate outcome (discharge/death).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective observational study carried out over a period of 1-year enrolling 601 patients of Medical ICU (MICU). The Chi-square test is applied to correlate hypomagnesemia with the outcome.
  About 25% patients had admission hypomagnesemia. When compared with the normal Mg group, there was significant association of hypomagnesemia with outcome in terms of duration of MICU stay 5.46 (5.75) versus 3.93 (3.88), need for mechanical ventilation (56.86% vs. 24.33%), discharge/cured from ICU (61.43% vs. 85.26%), and death (38.56% vs. 14.73%). However, no significant difference was found in the duration of ventilation between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypomagnesemia is associated with a higher mortality rate in critically ill patients. The need for ventilatory support, but not its duration is significantly higher in hypomagnesemic patients. Hypomagnesemia is commonly associated with sepsis and diabetes mellitus. The duration of MICU stay is significantly higher in patients with low serum Mg.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, DMIMS (DU), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, DMIMS (DU), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Akshay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honmode
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, DMIMS (DU), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Shraddha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, DMIMS (DU), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bhagat
keywords: Hypomagnesemia; Intensive Care Unit; outcome