Effects of magnesium sulphate on coagulation after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery, measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM® ).

Abstract

We investigated the effects of magnesium sulphate on blood coagulation profiles using rotational thromboelastometry in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the magnesium group (n = 22) or control group (n = 22). The magnesium group received intravenous magnesium sulphate (50 mg.kg(-1) followed by a continuous infusion of 15 mg.kg(-1) .h(-1) ), whereas the control group received the same volume of isotonic saline. Mean (SD) postoperative serum magnesium levels were 1.60 (0.13) mmol.l(-1) in the magnesium group compared with 0.98 (0.06) mmol.l(-1) in the control group (p < 0.001). All maximum clot firmness values of ROTEM analysis were significantly lower on the third postoperative day in the magnesium group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). We conclude that ROTEM analysis demonstrated that intra-operative administration of intravenous magnesium sulphate reduces blood hypercoagulability in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.