Hypomagnesemia in critically ill medical patients.

Background: Hypomagnesemia is an important but underdiagnosed electrolyte abnormality in critically ill patients. There are many studies to find the prevalence of hypomagnesemia and its effects on mortality and morbidity in these patients. Most of these studies have been carried out in intensive care units caring for patients with medical and surgical conditions and postoperative patients or those in respiratory intensive care unit, or critically ill cancer patients.