Search

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of hypomagnesemia as a risk factor for the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) and non-recovery of renal function in critically ill patients., Methods: A cohort study was conducted by collecting data from March to June 2011 in 232 patients who were admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU). Magnesium serum levels were measured daily during ICU stay. Hypomagnesemia was defined as an episode of serum magnesium concentration of <0.70 mmol/L during ICU stay. The Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) criteria were used to define AKI. Renal function recovery was defined as an absence of AKI by the RIFLE criteria over a 48-h period, or at ICU discharge, in the patients who developed AKI during ICU stay., Results: The presence of hypomagnesemia was similar in patients with or without AKI (47 and 62%, respectively, P = 0.36). The presence of hypomagnesemia was higher in patients who did not recover renal function when compared with patients who recovered renal function (70 versus 31%, P = 0.003). A multivariate analysis identified hypomagnesemia as an independent risk factor for non-recovery of renal function (P = 0.005). Patients with and without hypomagnesemia had similar mortality rates (P = 0.63)., Conclusions: Hypomagnesemia was an independent risk factor for non-recovery of renal function in a cohort of critically ill AKI patients.

Objective: To determine the association between the preoperative administration of statins and postoperative delirium in a prospective cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery., Methods: All adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit following cardiac surgery between January and June 2011 were included. Delirium was screened during the postoperative period using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) and Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC)., Results: A total of 169 patients underwent elective cardiac surgery, and 40.2% of the patients were treated preoperatively with statins. Delirium was identified using the CAM-ICU in 14.9% of patients not taking preoperative statins in comparison with 11.8% of the patients taking statins (p = 0.817). Using the ICDSC, delirium was identified in 18.8% of patients not taking statins in comparison with 10.3% of the patients taking statins (p = 0.191)., Conclusion: The use of preoperative statins is not correlated with postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.