Effects of magnesium sulphate on coagulation after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery, measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM® ).

We investigated the effects of magnesium sulphate on blood coagulation profiles using rotational thromboelastometry in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the magnesium group (n = 22) or control group (n = 22). The magnesium group received intravenous magnesium sulphate (50 mg.kg(-1) followed by a continuous infusion of 15 mg.kg(-1) .h(-1) ), whereas the control group received the same volume of isotonic saline. Mean (SD) postoperative serum magnesium levels were 1.60 (0.13) mmol.l(-1) in the magnesium group compared with 0.98 (0.06) mmol.l(-1) in the control group (p < 0.001). All maximum clot firmness values of ROTEM analysis were significantly lower on the third postoperative day in the magnesium group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). We conclude that ROTEM analysis demonstrated that intra-operative administration of intravenous magnesium sulphate reduces blood hypercoagulability in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

© 2014 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.