Robert Stevens, a 46-year-old male client, presents to your emergency room with progressive chest pain diagnosed as a latera
l-wall myocardial infarction. Mr. Stevens has a history of hypertension treated with a calcium channel blocker. He states that he consumes 3-4 glasses of whiskey every evening. What electrolyte imbalance would likely be treated in the presence of a myocardial infarction?
Hypomagnesemia is a condition of low magnesium levels in the body and because magnesium acts as an active cardiovascular electrolyte, its deficiency leads to cardiac complications such as dysrhythmias.
People who suffer from myocardial infarction are often treated for hypomagnesemia to improve their cardiac conduction, however, hypomagnesemia can also develop in chronic alcoholics.
The other reasons that could lead to the condition faced by Robert Stevens can be hypokalaemia however, as he is also chronic alcoholic hypomagnesemia is the main cause.
