title: Hypomagnesemia in Critically Ill Sepsis Patients.
abstract: Magnesium (Mg), also known as "the forgotten electrolyte", is the fourth most abundant cation overall and the second most abundant intracellular cation in the body. Mg deficiency has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases. This article is a review of the literature regarding Mg abnormalities with emphasis on the implications of hypomagnesemia in critical illness and on treatment options for hypomagnesemia in critically ill patients with sepsis. Hypomagnesemia is common in critically ill patients, and there is strong, consistent clinical evidence, largely from observational studies, showing that hypomagnesemia is significantly associated with increased need for mechanical ventilation, prolonged ICU stay and increased mortality. Although the mechanism linking hypomagnesemia with poor clinical outcomes is not known, experimental data suggest mechanisms contributing to such outcomes. However, at the present time, there is no clear evidence that magnesium supplementation improves outcomes in critically ill patients with hypomagnesemia. Large, well-designed clinical trials are needed to evaluate the role of magnesium therapy for improving outcomes in critically ill patients with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital of Patras, Rion 26500, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velissaris
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital of Patras, Rion 26500, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karamouzos
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, Brugmann University Hospital, Brussels 1030, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierrakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Pyrgos General Hospital, Pyrgos, Greece.
authors.forename: Diamanto
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aretha
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Menelaos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karanikolas
keywords: Critical illness; Hypomagnesemia; Magnesium; Mortality; Sepsis