8/10/2019 Causes of Hypomagnesemia
1/2
Causes of hypomagnesemia
Causes of hypomagnesemiaAuthor
Zalman S Agus, MD
Section EditorStanley Goldfarb, MD
Deputy Editor
John P Forman, MD, MSc
DisclosuresAll topics are updated as new evidence becomes
available and ourpeer review processis
complete.
Literature review current through: Oct 2012. | This topic last
updated: Jun 26, 2012.
INTRODUCTIONHypomagnesemia is a common entity occurring in up to
12 percent of
hospitalized patients [1]. The incidence rises to as high as 60
to 65 percent in patients in anintensive care setting in which
nutrition, diuretics, hypoalbuminemia, and aminoglycosides may
play important roles [2-5]. The kidney can, in the presence of
magnesium depletion, lower
magnesium excretion to very low levels; the stimulus for this
response is a fall in the plasmamagnesium concentration.
(See"Regulation of magnesium balance".)
There are two major mechanisms by which hypomagnesemia can be
induced: gastrointestinal orrenal losses. Regardless of the cause,
hypomagnesemia begins to occur after a relatively small
magnesium deficit, because there is little rapid exchange of
extracellular magnesium with the
much larger bone and cell stores.
Hypomagnesemia is often associated with hypokalemia due to
urinary potassium wasting andhypocalcemia due both to lower
parathyroid hormone secretion and end-organ resistance to its
effect. (See"Signs and symptoms of magnesium depletion".)
GASTROINTESTINAL LOSSESGastrointestinal secretions contain some
magnesium, andpotential losses are continuous and not regulated.
Although the obligatory losses are not large,
marked dietary deprivation can lead to progressive magnesium
depletion.
Magnesium losses from both the upper and lower gastrointestinal
tract can induce
hypomagnesemia. In general, magnesium depletion is more commonly
due to diarrhea than to
vomiting [5]. This is because the magnesium content of lower
tract secretions is significantly
higher (up to 15 meq/L versus approximately 1 meq/L for upper
tract). Common settings inwhich hypomagnesemia may be seen are when
intestinal secretions are incompletely reabsorbed,
as with most disorders of the small bowel, including acute or
chronic diarrhea, malabsorption
and steatorrhea, and small bowel bypass surgery.
A much rarer disorder is an inborn error of metabolism
characterized by a selective defect in
magnesium absorption (primary intestinal hypomagnesemia). This
disease presents in theneonatal period with hypocalcemia responsive
to magnesium administration [6]. In some
http://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://home/editorial-policyhttp://home/editorial-policyhttp://home/editorial-policyhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://home/editorial-policyhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htmhttp://e/software2/uptodate%2020.3/UpToDate.20.3-parsamed.ir/contents/mobipreview.htm
![HALDOL brand of haloperidol injection€¦ · QT-prolonging conditions (including electrolyte imbalance [particularly hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia], drugs known to prolong QT,](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/60090d046800cd5ea42ccdcb/haldol-brand-of-haloperidol-injection-qt-prolonging-conditions-including-electrolyte.jpg)
