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Serum total magnesium and ionized calcium concentrations in asphyxiated term newborn infants with hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy
Author(s) -
Ilves P,
Kiisk M,
Soopõld T,
Talvik T
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2000.tb00364.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypocalcaemia , hyponatremia , encephalopathy , magnesium , calcium , gastroenterology , asphyxia , anesthesia , umbilical cord , metallurgy , anatomy , materials science
Total magnesium, ionized calcium, potassium and sodium concentrations in mixed umbilical cord blood and venous blood serum at a median (min.‐max.) age of 33 h (24‐48 h) were assessed colorimetrically in 46 asphyxiated and 35 healthy term infants. Asphyxiated infants without any signs or with signs of mild hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) had significantly higher, and infants with severe HIE lower umbilical cord blood serum total magnesium (mean (95%CI) 0.81 (0.75‐0.87) mmol/l and 0.64 (0.47‐0.87) mmol/l, respectively, p < 0.05) compared with the control group (0.72 (0.69‐0.76) mmol/l). An increase in serum total magnesium in spite of normalized acid‐base status in asphyxiated infants suffering from severe HIE compared with the control group infants was found by the second day of life (0.97 (0.87‐1.07) mmol/l and 0.86 (0.81‐0.9) mmol/l, respectively, p < 0.05). At the age of 24‐48 h hypermagnesaemia (>2 SD) was discovered in 36%, hyponatremia (<2 SD) in 38%, and hypocalcaemia (<2 SD) in 23% of asphyxiated infants. Derangements (>2 SD) in at least two electrolytes by the second day of life were significantly associated with poor outcome. Conclusions : Magnesium, calcium and sodium derangements are a frequent finding in asphyxiated infants, and these abnormalities are significantly associated with poor outcome. For a better outcome prediction, the routine determination of magnesium in addition to other electrolytes in asphyxiated infants is recommended.