Calcium disorders Flashcards
What is hypercalcaemia?
A condition where an individual has too much calcium in the blood
How would you treat hypercalcaemia?
Intravenous administration of saline to dehydrated patients, Administer drugs that can inhibit renal reabsorption of calcium such as frusemide, administer drugs that inhibit bone reabsorption such as bisphosphonate, dialysis or in severe cases a parathyroidectomy
What does artefactual mean?
Collection of sample in the wrong tube
What are some diseases/disorders that can cause hypocalcaemia?
Vitamin D deficiency, chronic renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, psuedohypothyroidism and magnesium deficiency
What is hypoparathyroidism?
A disorder where the parathyroid gland is not making sufficient PTH, PTH affects the kidneys causing it to retain calcium and excrete phosphate
What is psuedohypothryoidism?
A quite rare disorder that causes the individual to be resistant to the action of PTH, condition is more common in males
What is trousseau’s sign?
Muscles in the upper arm going into spasms following pressure
What is chvostek’s sign?
Spasm of the facial muscles following a tap
What could you test for biochemically to determine hypocalcaemia?
plasma calcium levels, plasma albumin, plasma PTH, plasma urea/creatinine, plasma magnesium and plasma vitamin D
How does magnesium affect calcium levels?
It promotes the secretion of PTH
How does vitamin D affect calcium levels?
Once vitamin D has been activated by PTH it can act on the intestines to greatly increase the amount of calcium absorbed
