Objective:
The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics of hypercalcemia and the impacts on renal function and survival in emergency department (ED) patients.
Method:
We conducted a retrospective cross sectional descriptive study, all patient admitted between January 1, 2017, and January 1, 2018 to the ED of University of Health Sciences Bakirkoy TAR, were screened for the presence of hypercalcemia, defined as a serum calcium level greater than 10.3 mg/dL. Demographic, laboratory and outcome data were collected.
Results:
During the study period, 1.246 of 318.527 patients (120.418 patients received a measurement of serum calcium) (0.01%) were found to have hypercalcemia (Serum calcium 11.0±0.8 mg/dL) Mild hypercalcemia seen more frequently (calcium level <12 mg/dL, 94.3%). Renal fuction was normal in 995 (79.8%) of all patients with hypercalcemia. The total mortality rate was 0.01%, and death was associated with higher age, higher calcium level, lower albumin, lower hemoglobin, higher creatinine and higher white blood cells (all p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Although hypercalcemia is common in ED, severe hypercalcemia is rare and fatal. Therefore we recommend measuring the serum calcium level in at-risk patients in the ED and treatment should be initiated to detected underlying disease.
Keywords: hypecalcemia, electrolyte disturbance, emergency department