Alcohol As A Risk Factor and Serum Magnesium As A Prognostic Indicator in Critically Ill Patients

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol consumption significantly impacts the health of critically ill patients in the form of altered immune mechanisms, altered mentation. Chronic Alcoholism can lead to malnutrition chronic diarrhoea and renal dysfunction leading to wasting of magnesium by the kidney causing hypomagnesaemia. Magnesium is cofactor for wide range of enzymes, transporters and nucleic acids and essential for normal neuromuscular activity. Critical illness is a state of ill health with vital organ dysfunction. Severity of Critical illness is assessed by APACHE II and also in the form of Duration of ICU stay and need of ventilation. MATERIALS & METHODS: Retrospective study by collecting data from MRD. RESULTS: There were 23.7% Alcoholics, 76.3% Non-alcoholic. Age, Sex similar in both Alcoholics 56.07, Non-alcoholic 59.7. Majority 61-70 years both Alcoholic 28.5% and Non-alcoholics 26.6%. Majority are males both 78.5%, 53.3%. Normomagnesemia alcoholics 21.4%, Non-alcoholic 70%. Hypomagnesaemia alcoholics 67.85%, Non-alcoholic 21.1%. Prevalence of Hypomagnesemia Alcoholics highly statistically significant, p-value is <0.001.Mean APACHE Alcoholics 23.5 ± 6.88 ,Non-alcoholics 21.0 ± 7.41. Mean APACHE Hypomagnesemic Alcoholics 27.07 compared to 19.1 Non-alcoholics. Duration of ICU stay Alcoholics 4.75 days, Non-alcoholics 3.69 days, statistically significant p-value <0.05. Ventilator support Alcoholics 78.5%, Non-alcoholics 55%. Ventilatory duration Alcoholics 72.89 hours, Non-alcoholics 46.49 hours statistically significant p-value <0.05. CONCLUSION: Statistically significant relationship of Alcohol with Hypomagnesemia, severity of critical illness in terms of Duration of ICU Stay and Ventilation. Estimation of Serum Magnesium to be done in all critically ill patients with Alcohol consumption.