Abstract
A 32 year old woman with anorexia nervosa was admitted to hospital with severe hypocalcaemia and hypokalaemia that was refractory to replacement treatment but that responded immediately to an infusion of magnesium. She also had congestive cardiac failure that responded to magnesium replacement. The mild hypomagnesaemia found in this patient was responsible for the refractory hypocalcaemia. Minor deficiencies of magnesium may cause severe hypocalcaemia and hypokalaemia that are refractory to replacement treatment. Prompt replacement of magnesium may prevent prolonged tetany, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Anast C. S., Winnacker J. L., Forte L. R., Burns T. W. Impaired release of parathyroid hormone in magnesium deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1976 Apr;42(4):707–717. doi: 10.1210/jcem-42-4-707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brenton D. P., Gordon T. E. Fluid and electrolyte disorders. Magnesium. Br J Hosp Med. 1984 Aug;32(2):60, 64-6, 68-9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fonseca V., Houlder S., Thomas M., D'Souza V., Wakeling A., Dandona P. Osteopenia in women with anorexia nervosa. N Engl J Med. 1985 Aug 1;313(5):326–327. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198508013130513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Freedman D. B., Shannon M., Dandona P., Prentice H. G., Hoffbrand A. V. Hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcaemia during treatment for acute leukaemia. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Mar 6;284(6317):700–702. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6317.700. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jacobs M. B., Schneider J. A. Medical complications of bulimia: a prospective evaluation. Q J Med. 1985 Feb;54(214):177–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MOLNAR Z., LARSEN K., SPARGO B. Cardiac changes in the potassium-depleted rat. Arch Pathol. 1962 Oct;74:339–347. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Potts J. L., Dalakos T. G., Streeten D. H., Jones D. Cardiomyopathy in an adult with Bartter's syndrome and hypokalemia. Hemodynamic, angiographic and metabolic studies. Am J Cardiol. 1977 Dec;40(6):995–999. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(77)90051-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Powers P. S. Heart failure during treatment of anorexia nervosa. Am J Psychiatry. 1982 Sep;139(9):1167–1170. doi: 10.1176/ajp.139.9.1167. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]