Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) Nursing Considerations

Hey guys, let’s talk about magnesium sulfate also known as mgs oh four. This is an injectable medication, as you can see here, and it also can be given orally. Okay guys, remember when we are talking about therapeutic class of a drug, we are talking about how it works in the body and for magnesium sulfate, this is a mineral and electrolyte replacement or supplement and for the pharmacologic class or the chemical effect of the drug for magnesium sulfate, this is a mineral and electrolyte. So how does magnesium work? Well, magnesium plays a role in muscle. That’s my muscle excitability. We use magnesium sulfate for the treatment of hypomagnesemia hypertension, preterm labor for SOS asthma, and as an anti convulsant with eclampsia. Some of the side effects that we see with magnesium sulfate are things like hypotension, muscle weakness, arrhythmias, and a decrease respiratory rate. 

Let’s take a look at a few of the nursing considerations for magnesium sulfate. Be sure to monitor your patient’s EKG, the rest respiratory rate, as well as of course, their magnesium levels use caution in patients who have renal insufficiency when administering magnesium sulfate, be sure that you are checking the dose with a secondary practitioner with IV doses. The antidote for magnesium sulfate is calcium glute. So that is important in the event of an overdose. And it is important that the patient knows that magnesium toxicity can occur. And with this, we see things like respiratory depression, as well as a loss of deep tendon reflexes and decrease cardiac output. When used orally magnesium sulfate, it can interact with fluroquinolone. So you need to know that. So with these drugs, they should be separated if each are oral, but if one is given by IV and the other, not, then this interaction is not an issue It for magnesium sulfate or mgs oh four. Now go out and be your best self today. And as always happy nursing.