Boletín de la Asociación Médica de Puerto Rico
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To determine the prevalence of hypomagnesemia in diabetic children during diabetic ketoacidosis and following restitution of acid-base balance. ⋯ In this study the prevalence of hypomagnesemia was documented to be higher than the average described elsewhere for pediatric, adult, and coronary intensive care units. As hypomagnesemia is an indication of Magnesium depletion, we speculate that the transient hypomagnesemia detected in our study group is an expression of a state of Magnesium depletion that is masked by correction of acidosis and the Magnesium shifts associated with it. Consequently serum Magnesium values ought to be considered most reliable during and not after correction of diabetic ketoacidosis. Since Magnesium was not supplemented to any of our patients, the normalization of their serum values must be the result of: a. decreased glycosuria-related urinary losses b. cessation of acidosis-related urinary losses c. Magnesium shifts from intra to extracellular space The high prevalence of hypomagnesemia and the significant lower average serum Magnesium levels in children with diabetic ketoacidosis reveals the magnitude of the problem and the potential for Magnesium depletion that occurs in diabetic children.