Hypomagnesaemia and the burn patient

Abstract

Burn injuries result in a number of physiological derangements. In the initial phase post burn injury, it is common to see hyponatraemia and hyperkalaemia which are then often followed by hypocalcaemia, hypophosphataemia and hypomagnesaemia.¹ If uncorrected, electrolyte derangements result in a range of clinical manifestations including cardiac, musculoskeletal and neurological problems. By the rehabilitation phase, electrolyte derangements seem to have resolved with minimal surface area wounds still unhealed. We have noticed however that magnesium may continue to drop in some patients in our unit and we wished to make other clinicians managing burns aware of our experience for the benefit of their patients.