title: Relationship between serum total magnesium and serum potassium in emergency surgical patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Potassium and magnesium are the two most abundant intra-cellular cations. They play pivotal roles in many essential biological processes. Deficiencies of these electrolytes are of clinical importance in hospitalised patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between serum total magnesium and potassium levels in adult patients requiring an emergency intra-abdominal surgery and the clinical utility of this relationship in the care of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was conducted over a five month period at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. All 101 adult patients admitted for emergency intra-abdominal surgery, who met the inclusion criteria and gave informed consent, were consecutively recruited and enrolled into the study. Patients' characteristics preoperative total serum magnesium, serum potassium and albumin levels were determined. Regression analysis and correlation coefficients were used to determine the relation between serum magnesium and potassium. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum total magnesium and serum potassium were 0.66±0.20mmol/L and 3.79±0.65mmol/L respectively. There was a significant but weak positive correlation between serum hypokalaemia and serum magnesium levels. Pearson's correlation coefficient (2 tailed) was 0.21, R(2)= 0.04, p = value 0.038. Analysis generated a regression model: [Mg] = 0.06[K] + 0.42mmol/L, with a p-value = 0.038.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A mathematical relationship was found between serum total magnesium and serum potassium among adult patients who require emergency intra-abdominal surgery. However, it had limited clinical utility.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None declared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Djagbletey
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Owoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Ebenezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Owusu-Darkwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Papa Kobina Gyakye
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: deGraft-Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Alfred E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Yawson
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium
keywords: Potassium; electrolyte; magnesium; preoperative period