Cardiac effects of magnesium with special reference to anaesthesia: a review.

The role of magnesium in myocardial metabolism and the effects of magnesium deficiency on myocardial contraction and the electrocardiogram have been described. The causes of a magnesium deficiency have been discussed in some detail. Finally, the inter-relationship between magnesium and the mitochondrial enzyme systems concerned with oxidative phosphorylation is stressed. The early detection of magnesium deficiency by routine methods is imperative for the prevention of abnormal cardiac metabolism and the maintenance of the functional and structural integrity of cardiac muscle during anaesthesia.