Skip to main content
Labs

The phosphate that fell after breakfast

advanced

A 34-year-old admitted severely malnourished after months of restrictive eating. Feeding started yesterday at full calculated calories. Today he is weak, breathless, and his ankles have begun to swell.

Results · trended

TestAdmissionDay 2, after feedingTrendReference
PO40.920.31L0.81.45 mmol/L
K3.82.9L3.55 mmol/L
Mg0.740.52L0.71 mmol/L
Glu4.17.847.8 mmol/L
Na137134L135145 mmol/L

Phosphate 0.92 to 0.31 within a day of feeding. What happened?