Low blood calcium
| Hypocalcemia | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Hypocalcemia |
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| Calcium within the periodic table | |
| Specialty | Endocrinology |
| Symptoms | Numbness, muscle spasms, seizures, confusion |
| Complications | Cardiac arrest. |
| Causes | Hypoparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, kidney failure, pancreatitis, calcium channel blocker overdose, rhabdomyolysis, tumor lysis syndrome, bisphosphonates |
| Diagnostic method | Blood serum < 2.1 mmol/L (corrected calcium or ionized calcium) |
| Treatment | Calcium supplements, vitamin D, magnesium sulfate. |
| Frequency | ~18% of people in hospital |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| External resources |
Hypocalcaemia, also spelled hypocalcemia, is low calcium levels in the blood serum. The normal range is 2.1–2.6 mmol/L (8.8–10.7 mg/dL, 4.3–5.2 mEq/L) with levels less than 2.1 mmol/L defined as hypocalcemia. Mildly low levels that develop slowly often have no symptoms. Otherwise symptoms may include numbness, muscle spasms, seizures, confusion, or cardiac arrest.
Common causes include hypoparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency. Others causes include kidney failure, pancreatitis, calcium channel blocker overdose, rhabdomyolysis, tumor lysis syndrome, and medications such as bisphosphonates. Diagnosis should generally be confirmed with a corrected calcium or ionized calcium level. Specific changes may be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Initial treatment for severe disease is with intravenous calcium chloride and possibly magnesium sulfate. Other treatments may include vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium supplements. If due to hypoparathyroidism, hydrochlorothiazide, phosphate binders, and a low salt diet may also be recommended. About 18% of people who are in hospital have hypocalcemia.
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