Nephrology News & Articles

1 Ionized hypocalcemia is an early event and is associated with organ dysfunction in children admitted to the intensive care unit Journal of Critical Care, May 17, 2013
Dias CRB et al. – The purpose was to determine the frequency and risk factors of ionized hypocalcemia and to evaluate this disturbance as a predictor of mortality in a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). Ionized hypocalcemia is common during the ICU stay, particularly in the first 3 days of admission. This disturbance was not found to be a predictor of mortality, but it is independently associated with more severe organ dysfunction. Methods In a prospective cohort study, 337 ...

2 Role of Postoperative Vitamin D and/or Calcium Routine Supplementation in Preventing Hypocalcemia After Thyroidectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis The Oncologist, May 3, 2013
Alhefdhi A et al. - The primary aim was to evaluate the efficacy of routine postoperative oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation in preventing symptomatic post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia. The second aim was to draw clear guidelines regarding prophylactic calcium and/or vitamin D therapy for patients after thyroidectomy. A significant decrease in postoperative hypocalcemia was identified in patients who received routine supplementation of oral calcium or vitamin D. The ...

3 Reversible cardiac dysfunction associated with hypocalcemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data Heart Failure Reviews, February 14, 2013
Newman DB et al. - The present systematic review and meta-analyses of individual patient data were conducted to further characterize the cardiac dysfunction associated with low serum calcium levels in the clinical setting. The available evidence is very limited and does not provide a rationale for a certain threshold or a recommendation for calcium replacement. Future research is needed in this important and common metabolic disorder.

4 Hearing status in children with frequently relapsing and steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome Pediatric Nephrology, February 15, 2013
Saha A et al. - Children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) are at risk of hearing impairment due to nephrotoxic drugs and biochemical impairments. Children with FRNS/SDNS and SRNS are at risk of sensorineural hearing impairment. The risk factors associated with this impairment were higher cumulative doses of furosemide and hypocalcemia. Larger prospective cohort studies are required to evaluate this association.

5 PTH replacement therapy of hypoparathyroidism Osteoporosis International, April 17, 2013
Rejnmark L et al. - Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by hypocalcemia with inappropriately low parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Bone turnover is abnormally low and bone mineral density (BMD) is typically increased. As PTH has a short plasma half-life, these findings indicate that exposure to PTH once or twice daily is not sufficient to reestablish a calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism that resembles normal physiology. Further studies should assess the effects of continuous ...

6 Proton Pump Inhibitor-Associated Hypomagnesemia: What Do FDA Data Tell Us? Annals of Pharmacotherapy, May 6, 2013
Luk CP et al. - The study aims to address the association between the use of different PPIs and hypomagnesemia by examining the frequency of occurrence of hypomagnesemia among the reported adverse drug reactions from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System database. All PPIs were associated with hypomagnesemia, with esomeprazole having the lowest risk and pantoprazole having the highest risk. The risk of PPI-associated hypomagnesemia was higher in ...

7 PTH (1–84) Replacement Therapy in Hypoparathyroidism: a Randomized Controlled Trial on Pharmacokinetic and Dynamic effects following 6 months of treatment Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 10, 2013
Sikjaer T et al. - Untreated, hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) is a state of hypocalcemia with inappropriate low plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and hyperphosphatemia. PTH administration normalizes plasma calcium and phosphate levels and reduces the doses of calcium and active vitamin D analogues needed. As a safety precaution the authors recommend measuring calcium levels at approximately 7h after administration occasionally in order to reveal episodes of hypercalcemia. A daily dose ...