Hypomagnesemia and hypokalemia: a successful oral therapeutic approach after 16 years of potassium and magnesium intravenous replacement therapy

Electrolyte abnormalities are very common problems in clinical practice, and if chronic, their management can be difficult. Hypokalemia, defined as a serum potassium level <3.5 mmol/L, is an exceptionally common electrolyte abnormality encountered in clinical practice; >20% of hospitalized patients have been reported to have some degree of hypokalemia [1]. Hypomagnesemia is also common and has been observed in as many as 50% of critically ill and Intensive Care Unit patients [2]. Patients with severe electrolyte deficiencies may be treated with intravenous (IV) or oral replacement regimens. We discuss a case in which a patient was treated for 16 years with an IV electrolyte replacement regimen. Using a stepwise approach, we were able to stop the IV replacement therapy and transition the patient to an oral electrolyte replacement.