Corrected calcium concentration estimates the total concentration as if the albumin concentration was normal – usually taken as 40g/l. A typical correction is that for every 1g/l that the albumin concentration is below this mean, the calcium concentration is 0.02mmol/l below what it would be if the albumin concentration was normal; i.e. corrected [Ca] = measured [Ca] + {(40 – [albumin]) * 0.02}.
Causes of Hypercalcaemia include
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
- Multiple myeloma
- Sarcoidosis
- vitamin D intoxification
- Tuberculosis
- Lithium treatment
- periods of prolonged immobilisation
- acute renal injury
Causes of Hypocalcaemia include
- Inadequate Vitamin D
- Hypoparathyroidism post operatively or post radiotherapy
- Pseudohypoparathyroidism or pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
- Hyper or hypomagnesemia
- Renal disease : excessive calcium excreted
- End-stage liver disease causing vitamin D inadequacy
- Bone disease – osteomalacia in adults or rickets in children
- Sclerotic metastases
- Genetic causes: congenital absence of parathyroid glands, Di George syndrome, or Fanconi syndrome
- Pancreatitis
- Drugs (eg, rifampicin, antiepileptics, calcitonin, bisphosphonates, calcitonin, corticosteroids, chloroquine)
