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Metabolic alkalosis with hypertonic dehydration in a patient with diarrhoea and magnesium oxide ingestion
Insights
Magnesium oxide powder can cause metabolic alkalosis in infants with diarrhea and dehydration. Physicians should consider this risk and explore other diagnoses like congenital alkalosis with diarrhea.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Acute gastroenteritis in infants can lead to dehydration.
- Magnesium deficiency is not typically a significant concern in healthy infants with acute gastroenteritis.
- Magnesium oxide is sometimes used for its laxative properties.
Observation:
- An infant presented with diarrhea and dehydration.
- The infant received magnesium oxide powder.
- The infant subsequently developed marked metabolic alkalosis.
Findings:
- The administration of magnesium oxide powder was associated with severe metabolic alkalosis in an infant.
- Existing literature does not support the occurrence of significant magnesium deficiency in otherwise healthy infants experiencing acute gastroenteritis.
- Physicians need to be aware of magnesium oxide as a potential cause of iatrogenic metabolic alkalosis.
Implications:
- Magnesium oxide therapy should be approached with caution in infants presenting with diarrhea and dehydration.
- Differential diagnosis for metabolic alkalosis in infants should include congenital alkalosis with diarrhea.
- This case highlights the importance of considering medication side effects in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
An eight-week-old infant with diarrhoea and dehydration became markedly alkalotic after administration of magnesium oxide powder. The literature does not substantiate the premise that significant magnesium deficiency may occur during acute gastroenteritis in an otherwise healthy infant. Physicians should be warned about this form of therapy as a possible cause of metabolic alkalosis. The possibility of congenital alkalosis with diarrhoea should be considered in differential diagnosis.