Hypomagnezemia in pediatric intensive care unit; etiology, risk factors and relationship of mortality

Aim: We aimed to find; etiology, risk factors, frequency and mortality, and to contribute to reducing mortality by supporting hypomagnesaemia in hospitalized patients of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Material and Method: In this study, files of patients screened retrospectively who admitted to Şahinbey Research and Practice Hospital PICU between January 2014 and August 2016. Age, gender, diagnosis, underlying disease, whether or not postoperative, Pediatrik mortalite indeks, Pediyatrik mortalite risk skorları are recorded. The definition of hypomagnesemia is defined as the serum Magnezyum level below 1,7 mg / dL (0,7 mmol / L). Findings: Clinical features of patients; Total cases were 229, mean age was 57,29 (1-191 months). 118 of the cases (51,5%) were male; 111 of them were girls (48,5%). While hypomagnesemia were found 44 (19,2% ) cases during admission to hospital, hypomagnesemia developed in 162 (%7,7) of the cases during the hospitalization. In 65 (%28,4) of patients did not have hypomagnesemia before or during the hospitalization. Duration of hospitalization 17,3 ± 21,9 days in patients with hypomagnesemia and 10,7 ± 22,8 days in patients without hypomagnesemia (p = 0.001). Mortality rate was 37,3% in the group with normal magnesium, 45,5% in the patients with hypomagnesemia in admission and 47,5% in patients with hypomagnesemia during hospitalization. Hypoalbuminemia was found in 81,5%, hypophosphatemia in 30,9% and hypopotassemia in 35,5% of the patients who developed hypomagnesemia during hospitalization (p = 0.001). Result: Hypomagnesemia is common in PICU, hypomagnesemic patients have a longer hospital stay, higher mortality, higher rate of need mechanical ventilator, and are often accompanied by electrolyte disturbances. Magnesium should be followed closely in PICU. Evaluation of hypomagnesemia and associated factors in pediatric intensive care units in larger prospective studies is required. Key words: Hypomagnesemia, Mortality, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit