Magnesium for oxygen absorption?

[queenjulie, RN]

I got an ER admit today who has COPD exacerbation. The ER nurse reported that she was given 2 g of magnesium IV to help with her oxygenation. I'd never heard of such a thing, and neither had the most senior nurse on my unit. I Googled and found one somewhat sketchy article that says that magnesium can increase oxygen binding to heme: http://drsircus.com/medicine/magnesium/hemoglobin%e2%80%99s-oxygen-carrying-capacity-magnesium/. Does anyone else do this or know if it's true?

--Julie

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

The ER nurse probably could provide you with more information on the subject if you would ask her.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Magnesium also can exert an effect on the bronchial tree... search for "magnesium respiratory" and you'll start seeing quite a bit about mag. I doubt it's to directly improve oxygen binding to hemoglobin that the 2g of mag was hung for...

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/482719

"Magnesium sulfate has been shown to inhibit smooth muscle contraction, decrease histamine release from mast cells, and inhibit acetylcholine release. Studies both in children and adults have shown variable improvement in patients with severe airflow limitation who are unresponsive to standard treatment with beta agonist, anticholinergic, and corticosteroid medications. "

Hope that helps it make sense...

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/482719

"Magnesium sulfate has been shown to inhibit smooth muscle contraction, decrease histamine release from mast cells, and inhibit acetylcholine release. Studies both in children and adults have shown variable improvement in patients with severe airflow limitation who are unresponsive to standard treatment with beta agonist, anticholinergic, and corticosteroid medications. "

Hope that helps it make sense...

I was hoping that people would look that up, and more, about what Mag does in the respiratory system. A simplistic way to think of it is to think of it as kind of a bronchodilator. It's really a smooth muscle relaxant. By relaxing the smooth muscle in the bronchial tree, it allows dilation to occur, thereby improving airflow. This should result in improved oxygenation because air can reach the alveoli where gas exchange occurs.

Mag is not just a tocolytic or a drug used for treatment of Torsades de Pointes.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

and most persons in the USA are deficient...

I was hoping that people would look that up, and more, about what Mag does in the respiratory system. A simplistic way to think of it is to think of it as kind of a bronchodilator. It's really a smooth muscle relaxant. By relaxing the smooth muscle in the bronchial tree, it allows dilation to occur, thereby improving airflow. This should result in improved oxygenation because air can reach the alveoli where gas exchange occurs.

Mag is not just a tocolytic or a drug used for treatment of Torsades de Pointes.