[An unknown but potentially serious side effect of proton pump inhibitors: hypomagnesaemia]. / Een onbekende, maar potentieel ernstige bijwerking van protonpompremmers: hypomagnesiëmie.

Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors can lead to serious hypomagnesaemia. Intestinal magnesium absorption takes place by passive paracellular and active transcellular transport. It has been hypothesized that proton pump inhibitors impair the active transcellular magnesium transport. The resulting hypomagnesaemia may cause hypoparathyroidism, hypocalcaemia and hypokalaemia. Proton pump inhibitor-induced hypomagnesaemia is reversible: it resolves when proton pump inhibitors are stopped. The indication for long-term proton pump inhibitor treatment should be evaluated periodically.

[Patients with a haematological malignancy in intensive care]. / Patiënten met een hematologische maligniteit op de Intensive Care.

In this case report we describe 2 patients with acute leukaemia, a 38-year-old and a 21-year-old woman who were both admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) twice for different complications of underlying disease and chemotherapy. Although the survival rates for patients with haematological malignancies requiring admission to intensive care have increased in the last two decades, many physicians are still reluctant to admit these patients to intensive care. However, 50% of these patients are successfully discharged from intensive care, regardless of age or underlying haematological disease. The length of stay in the ICU does not correlate with mortality in the ICU either. Intensive mechanical ventilation and multiple organ failure increase mortality in patients with haematological malignancies undergoing intensive treatment in an ICU.