Bone Profile Interpretation Flashcards
What does a bone profile involve?
1) Serum calcium
2) Serum phosphate
3) Serum albumin
4) ALP
What are the 3 main processes that determine serum calcium?
1) Intestinal absorption
2) Renal excretion
3) Bone turnover
Where is calcium absorbed?
Small intestine
What regulates the intestinal absorption of calcium?
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency leads to decreased calcium absorption from the gut.
What regulates the renal excretion of calcium?
PTH
Increased PTH levels lead to decreased levels of renal calcium excretion.
Calcium is released from old bone and taken up by new bone.
What is this process regulated by/
PTH
Increased PTH levels lead to increased calcium resorption from the bone into the bloodstream.
What 3 ways does PTH increase serum calcium?
1) Decreases renal excretion of calcium
2) Increases calcium resorption from bone
3) Indirectly increases calcium levels by increasing Vitamin D activation in the kidney
Give some causes of hypercalcaemia
1) Excessive PTH:
- 1ary hyperparathyroidism
- 3ary hyperparathyroidism
- ectopic PTH secretion (rare)
2) Malignancy:
- myeloma
- bony metastases
- paraneoplastic syndromes
3) Excessive vitamin D:
- exogenous excess
- granulomatous disease (e.g. sarcoidosis)
4) Excessive calcium intake: ‘milk-alkali’ syndrome
5) Renal disease (severe AKI)
6) Drugs:
- thiazide diuretics
- lithium
What 2 drugs can notably cause hypercalcaemia?
1) lithium
2) thiazide diuretics
What are over 90% of cases of hypercalcaemia due to? (2)?
1) 1ary hyperparathyroidism
2) Malignancy
What is the key next step in assessing hypercalcaemia?
Request a PTH
PTH levels in malignancy vs 1ary hyperparathyroidism?
Malignancy –> suppressed due to negative feedback
1ary hyperparathyroidisim –> raised
What are some features of hypercalcaemia?
Bones: bone pain, pathological fractures
Renal stones: renal colic
Abdo groans: abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, pancreatitis
Psychic moans: confusion, hallucination, lethargy, depression
What will an ECG classically show in hypercalcaemia?
Shortened QT interval –> can progress to cause complete AV nodal block and cardiac arrest.
What does the initial management of hypercalcaemia involve?
Aggressive IV fluid rehydration (saline)
What may be required for treatment of hypercalcemia refractory to rehydration?
Bisphosphonates
Give some causes of hypocalcaemia?
1) PTH deficiency:
- 1ary hypoparathyroidism (autoimmune)
- parathyroid damage (post thyroid/parathyroid surgery or post neck irradiation)
- severe hypomagnesemia (impairs PTH secretion)
2) Vit D deficiency
3) Acute pancreatitis
4) Drugs: bisphosphonates, calcitonin