Changes in cerebrospinal fluid magnesium levels in patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia for hip arthroplasty: does intravenous infusion of magnesium sulphate make any difference? A prospective, randomized, controlled study

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45 neurologically healthy patients undergoing continuous spinal anaesthesia for hip arthroplasty were randomized to receive intravenous magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) or saline. Over 6 hours, the magnesium concentration in the serum increased in the MgSO4 group and decreased in the saline group. However, both groups demonstrated a decrease in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) magnesium concentration at 2 hours. This concentration returned to baseline by 6 hours. There was no difference between the two groups at any time period for the concentration of CSF magnesium or for any other ion concentration in the CSF.