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Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia is dangerously low blood calcium that affects muscle contraction (including the heart), nerve function, and enzyme activity. It can cause seizures and cardiac arrest.
Key Facts
- Calcium is critical for muscle contraction, nerve function, and enzyme activity
- Ionized calcium is the clinically significant measurement
- Common causes: hypoparathyroidism (post-thyroidectomy), eclampsia (nursing mothers), kidney failure, pancreatitis
- Post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia: most important complication of hyperthyroidism surgery
- Signs: anxiety, muscle twitching, facial itching, tremors, seizures, cardiac arrhythmia
- Severe: <7 mg/dl total calcium puts patient at seizure risk
- Treatment: IV calcium gluconate (emergency), oral calcium + vitamin D supplementation (maintenance)
- Supplementation may be temporary (days) or lifelong depending on parathyroid damage
- Species: dogs and cats