Hypomagnesaemia, cardiac arrhythmias and orthotopic liver transplantation.

Abstract

Two patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation and developed peroperative cardiac arrhythmias are presented. In one, the arrhythmias were refractory to treatment with anti-arrhythmic drug therapy until serum magnesium levels were restored to normal. The other patient had a low pre-operative serum magnesium level and developed atrial fibrillation on induction of, and during, anaesthesia. Patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation may be a group especially predisposed to hypomagnesaemia. The importance of monitoring serum magnesium levels in such patients who develop peroperative cardiac arrhythmias is emphasised.