Related articles: Hypocalcemia
Definition
Hypocalcemia is a reduction in total serum calcium concentration below 8.8 mg / dl (<2.20 mmol / l), in the presence of normal concentrations of plasma proteins. This condition causes various manifestations, such as paresthesia, tetany and, if severe, convulsions, encephalopathy and heart failure.
Hypocalcaemia may depend on numerous causes, including hypoparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency and nephropathy.
Hypoparathyroidism is due to a parathormone deficiency (PTH), a situation that can occur in the context of autoimmune diseases or following the removal or damage of several parathyroid glands during a thyroidectomy.
Vitamin D deficiency may be secondary to inadequate dietary intake or reduced absorption due to hepatobiliary disorders or intestinal malabsorption. The deficiency can also occur due to metabolic alterations, as happens with some drugs (eg phenytoin and rifampicin), or following a reduced skin synthesis, related to a lack of exposure to sunlight and / or aging.
Hypocalcemia can also be induced by drugs used to treat hypercalcemia and anticonvulsants.
Other causes include reduced calcium intake and / or absorption with malnutrition diet, magnesium deficiency, hypoproteinemia and acute hyperphosphatemia.
Hypocalcemia may also result from malabsorption, acute pancreatitis, septic shock, medullary thyroid carcinoma, rickets and other bone diseases (such as hungry bone syndrome and osteo-thickening metastases).
Possible Causes * of Hypocalcemia
- Alcoholism
- Kidney failure
- Malignant hyperthermia
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Addison's disease
- osteopetrosis
- Pancreatitis
- Sepsis
- Septic shock
- Thyroid tumor
- Burns
