Causes of Hypermagnesaemia: A Literature Review

Magnesium is one of the commonly overlooked electrolytes, yet it plays a vital role in many of the processes in the human body. The balance of magnesium can translate into subtle changes in a person’s daily life, causing fatigue and confusion, to extreme cases that can end up causing central nervous system depression, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrhythmias. It is vital to be familiar with the physiology of magnesium regulation and knowledgeable regarding the causes that can lead to its toxicity to ensure the prevention of the possibly fatal condition. Magnesium balance can be summarised as the difference between magnesium intake and its excretion. Any factor overwhelming either of the two factors can cause pathological levels of the electrolyte. In addition to learning preventive measures to help patients against effects of magnesium toxicity, it is also important that the medical community trains to be able to treat cases of hypermagnesaemia. This review assesses the latest advancements in knowledge of magnesium metabolism, examines the case reports of hypermagnesaemia in an attempt to list the causes of magnesium toxicity, and enumerates management advances for the condition.