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3.11.4 - Calcium

from Section 3.11 - Metabolic Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
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Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the human body and its numerous essential roles include exocrine, endocrine and neurocrine function, mediation of muscle contraction and coagulation.

  2. 2. Normal serum calcium concentrations are tightly regulated by the kidney, gastrointestinal tract and bone, under the influence of parathyroid hormone, vitamin D and calcitonin.

  3. 3. The effects of hypercalcaemia may be memorised as groans (constipation), bones (bone pain), stones (kidney stones) and moans (psychosis).

  4. 4. Treatment of hypercalcaemia is dependent on severity, with the mainstay involving hydration/intravenous administration of 0.9% saline to dilute plasma calcium, alongside treatment of the underlying cause.

  5. 5. One of the most frequent causes of hypocalcaemia in critical illness is hypoalbuminaemia.

Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
, pp. 370 - 372
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

References and Further Reading

Aguillera, IM, Vaughan, RS. Calcium and the anaesthetist. Anaesthesia 2000;55:779–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bushinsky, DA, Monk, RD. Calcium. Lancet 1998;352:306–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parikh, M, Webb, ST. Cations: potassium, calcium and magnesium. Contin Educ Anaesth Crit Care Pain 2012;12:195–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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