Background: Serum magnesium is a commonly checked laboratory assay. Unfortunately, there is little evidence demonstrating benefit from checking and repleting magnesium for the majority of inpatients – including those who are critically ill.
Methods: An internet based survey was sent to internal medicine house staff and hospitalist services (including attending physicians and NPs/PAs) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Results: 260 care providers responded. 43% of respondents felt that serial assessment and repletion of magnesium was too frequent, and most commonly did so (72.7%) due to the culture of their institution. Only 11.5% of respondents did so because of published evidence. Only 17.3% of respondents felt that surveillance and repletion of magnesium was often or always of benefit to patients. Additionally, 11.4% of respondents reported that this practice often or always changed discharge management of patients.
Conclusions: Our data reaffirm that despite widespread checking and repletion of plasma magnesiumit is not felt to be an evidence driven practice by providers at two major academic centers.