Tetany and myocardial arrhythmia due to hypomagnesaemia. A case report

An 11-year-old boy with acute intestinal obstruction presented with tetany, and developed myocardial arrhythmia during anaesthesia. The procedure was abandoned and the patient further investigated. He was found to have hypomagnesaemia and normocalcaemia. Intravenous magnesium sulphate corrected the tetany, and no further arrhythmia occurred during subsequent surgery.