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Effect of albumin on neonatal serum ionized magnesium in vitro
Shaul Dollberg1, Michal Kupietz, Francis B Mimouni
1The Department of Neonatology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. dollberg@tasmc.health.gov.il
Background:
Human serum albumin (HAS) is used to treat hypoproteinaemia in neonates and as a volume expander. The aim of this study was to quantify the decrease in serum concentration of ionized magnesium ([Mg2+]) when human serum albumin is added to neonatal serum in vitro.
Methods:
Human serum albumin was added to 20 cord serum samples of term infants to reach incremental concentrations of 0 to 20.0 g/l and [Mg2+] were measured.
Results:
Serum [Mg2+] decreased significantly with the addition of serum albumin. At incremental serum albumin concentration of 10 to 20 g/l, which is within the range of the desired aim in the treatment of hypoalbuminaemia, the magnitude of the decrease in serum [Mg2+] was approximately 0.041 to 0.052 mmol/l (10 to 13 per cent) from the average baseline value.
Conclusion:
The addition of albumin causes a decrease in [Mg2+]. From this in vitro study we speculate that fast infusion of albumin in human neonates may potentially cause a clinically significant decrease in serum [Mg2+].
