Objectives: To determine the frequency of hypomagnesemia in pediatric patients after spinal fusion, to verify whether postoperative magnesium levels were lower than preoperative levels and, if so, to identify possible causes and assess the clinical repercussions for patients.
Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study of pediatric patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) after spine fusion surgery, between March 1 and August 31, 2011. Preoperative magnesium, phosphorus and total and ionized calcium concentrations were compared with the results of tests conducted during the first 24 hours after admission to the ICU.