Hypomagnesemia in patients with chronic alcoholism in thecourse of alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Abstract

Aim. To ascertain hypomagnesemia (HM) rate in patients with chronic alcoholism (CA) with alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS); correlation between AWS severity and HM rate. Material and methods. Mg in plasm was measured at photometry in 129 CA patients treated in Kaunas Mental Hospital. Results. Plasma Mg in CA patients with A WS was reduced ( 1.251 mmol/l) in 28.7, 65.1 and 6.2% patients, respectively. HM was diagnosed in 42.3% with a severe, 19.1% with a moderate and 20.0% with weak AWS. Conclusion. HM in AWS was registered in 28.7% patients. It occurred significantly more frequently (p < 0.05) in patients with a severe AWS. Pathogenetic mechanisms of HM in AWS are described

Keywords

• chronic alcoholism
• alcohol withdrawal syndrome
• hypomagnesemia