A STUDY ON EFFECTS OF HYPOMAGNESEMIA AMONG CRITICALLY III PATIENTS ADMITTED TO INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypomagnesemia is one of the common electrolyte disorders found in critically ill patients, but mostly remains under diagnosed . Our aim is to study prevalence and effects of hypomagnesemia among critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit and to correlate with patient outcome and other parameters like length of stay in ICU, ventilator support and duration, mortality. This cross- METHODS: sectional study was conducted at Tripura Medical College and DR. BRAM Teaching hospital, over a period of 6 months duration from 1st June 2022 to 30th November 2022. 102 Critically ill patients of age more than 18 years admitted to ICU fullling the criteria were included in the study. Demographic data , medical history, length of ICU stay, requirement of ventilatory support and mortality was recorded for each patient. The severity scoring system used was Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II). Serum magnesium levels along with other relevant investigations were done within rst 24 h of hospital admission. Among RESULTS: 102 patients, the mean age was 52.5 ± 13.7 years. 66 (64.7%) were male and 36 (35.3%) were females. The mean APACHE-II score was 21.9 ± 1.8. Prevalence of hypomagnesaemia in the present study was 36.3 % , whereas 63.7% had normomagnesemia. Majority of patients with hypomagnesemia had sepsis (51%). When hypomagnesemia was compared with normomagnesemia group, patients with hypomagnesemia had higher APACHE II score (23.1 ± 1.7 vs 21.2 ± 1.5), more frequently had sepsis (51% vs 20%), higher ICU stay (10.3 ± 2.5 vs 8.7 ± 2.1), more frequent need for ventilatory support (54% vs 27%), higher mortality (41% vs 12%), and the association was statistically signicant. However, no signicant difference was found in the duration of ventilation between the two groups. This study has found high prevalence of hypomagnesemi CONCLUSION: a in critically ill patients. Hypomagnesemia was associated with higher APACHE II score on admission, increased duration of ICU stays, increased need of ventilator support and higher mortality. Hence, monitoring of magnesium levels should be recommended in critically ill patients as it has several prognostic and therapeutic implications