Point-of-Care Testing vs Laboratory Testing for Magnesium: Correlation vs Concordance. What’s the point?
Patients with magnesium imbalance present with common and vague symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. Magnesium imbalances can be caused by over-the-counter medications and supplements leading to visits to the emergency room. Therefore, rapid detection of magnesium may be helpful to expedite appropriate patientcare. Rapid point-of-care testing for magnesium measures the biologically active ionized (or free) form of magnesium, while laboratory testing often measures total magnesium. Total magnesium in the blood is comprised of at least three forms: ionized magnesium (or free/unbound), magnesium that is bound to proteins such as albumin, and magnesium that is chelated (by citrate for example). Correlations of ionized magnesium and total magnesium typically show correlations of values near ~ 0.7-0.8, while clinical category agreements (concordance) may be more variable. In the current presentation Dr. Naveen Bangia will discuss cases of magnesium imbalances and the interpretation of ionized magnesium vs total magnesium comparisons. These comparisons will be highlighted in the context of clinical decision making.
Presenter: Naveen Bangia, PhD
Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs
Nova Biomedical
Patients with magnesium imbalance present with common and vague symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. Magnesium imbalances can be caused by over-the-counter medications and supplements leading to visits to the emergency room. Therefore, rapid detection of magnesium may be helpful to expedite appropriate patientcare. Rapid point-of-care testing for magnesium measures the biologically active ionized (or free) form of magnesium, while laboratory testing often measures total magnesium. Total magnesium in the blood is comprised of at least three forms: ionized magnesium (or free/unbound), magnesium that is bound to proteins such as albumin, and magnesium that is chelated (by citrate for example). Correlations of ionized magnesium and total magnesium typically show correlations of values near ~ 0.7-0.8, while clinical category agreements (concordance) may be more variable. In the current presentation Dr. Naveen Bangia will discuss cases of magnesium imbalances and the interpretation of ionized magnesium vs total magnesium comparisons. These comparisons will be highlighted in the context of clinical decision making.
Presenter: Naveen Bangia, PhD
Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs
Nova Biomedical