Word parts
What it means
Normal serum magnesium is about 1.3 to 2.1 mEq/L [0.65 to 1.05 mmol/L], though ranges vary by lab. Common causes are alcohol use disorder, poor diet, diarrhea, diuretics and long-term proton pump inhibitors. Low magnesium makes nerves and muscles overexcitable and can cause dangerous heart rhythms, and it often comes with low potassium and calcium.
For the nurse
Watch for tremors, twitching, brisk reflexes and heart rhythm changes. Give magnesium as ordered and check the level again. ISMP lists magnesium sulfate injection as a high-alert medication.
Remember it
Low magnesium, jumpy muscles; high magnesium, sleepy muscles.
At a glance
| Spanish | hipomagnesemia |
|---|
Easy to confuse with
hypermagnesemia
A blood magnesium level above normal.
Related terms
hypokalemia
A blood potassium level below normal, under 3.5 mEq/L.
electrolyte
A mineral that carries an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride.
hypo-
A word beginning that means under, below or less than normal.
-emia
A word ending that means a condition of the blood, or something in the blood.
hypermagnesemia
A blood magnesium level above normal.