Hypocalcaemia Health Dictionary

Underactivity of the parathyroid glands (see under ENDOCRINE GLANDS). Thus there is a lack of parathyroid hormone resulting in HYPOCALCAEMIA. It may be caused by inadvertent removal of the glands when the thyroid gland is surgically removed, or by failure of the glands because of autoimmune disease.... hypoparathyroidism

A general term meaning the cessation of breathing. Apnoea is a medical emergency: death soon follows if breathing is not quickly restored (see APPENDIX 1: BASIC FIRST AID). Apnoea may be caused by an obstruction to the airway, for example by the tongue during general ANAESTHESIA, or by a disturbance of the mechanisms that control breathing. Rapid heavy breathing reduces the blood levels of carbon dioxide and can lead to a brief period of apnoea.

Neonatal apnoeic attacks may represent a serious emergency, being caused by prematurity, milk aspiration, heart failure, infection, HYPOXIA, HYPOGLYCAEMIA or HYPOCALCAEMIA. If stimulation of the baby does not immediately restore breathing, then bag-and-mask ventilation should be used.... apnoea

Rapidly alternating contractions and relaxations of the muscles, causing irregular movements of the limbs or body generally, usually accompanied by unconsciousness.

Causes The most common reason for convulsions is EPILEPSY, and the underlying cause of the latter often remains uncertain. In newborns, convulsions may be due to HYPOXIA following a di?cult labour, or to low levels of sugar or calcium in the blood (HYPOGLYCAEMIA; HYPOCALCAEMIA). A sudden rise of body temperature during infective illness may induce convulsions in an infant or young child.

Diseases of the brain, such as meningitis, encephalitis and tumours, or any disturbance of the brain due to bleeding, blockage of a blood vessel, or irritation of the brain by a fracture of the skull, may also be responsible for convulsions (see BRAIN, DISEASES OF).

Asphyxia, for example from choking, may also bring on convulsions.

Treatment Newborns with hypoglycaemia or hypocalcaemia are treated by replacing the missing compound. Infants with febrile convulsions may be sponged with tepid water and fever reduced with paracetamol.

In epilepsy, unless it is particularly severe, the movements seldom need to be restrained. If convulsions persist beyond a few minutes it may be necessary to give BENZODIAZEPINES, either intravenously or rectally. In the UK, paramedics are trained to do this; likewise many parents of epileptic children are capable of administering the necessary treatment. If however this fails to stop the convulsions immediately, hospital admission is needed for further treatment. Once ?ts are under control, the cause of the convulsions must be sought and the necessary long-term treatment given.... convulsions

Increased activity of the PARATHYROID gland. Parathyroid hormone increases SERUM calcium. Hyperparathyroidism may be primary (due to an ADENOMA or HYPERPLASIA of the gland), secondary (in response to HYPOCALCAEMIA) or tertiary (when secondary hyperparathyroidism causes the development of an autonomous adenoma).... hyperparathyroidism

A disease occurring most commonly in patients in or from the tropics, and characterised by diarrhoea with large, fatty stools; ANAEMIA; sore tongue; and weight loss. Its manifestations resemble those of non-tropical sprue, or gluten enteropathy, and COELIAC DISEASE.

Causes Tropical sprue is thought to be due to an inborn error of metabolism, characterised primarily by an inability to absorb fats from the intestines. Its epidemiological pattern suggests that an infection such as DYSENTERY may be the precipitating factor. Subsequently there is interference with the absorption of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, leading to anaemia and HYPOCALCAEMIA.

Symptoms Of gradual or rapid onset, there is initial weakness, soreness of the tongue, dif?culty swallowing, indigestion, diarrhoea and poor appetite. Anaemia is typically macrocytic, and mild HYPOGLYCAEMIA may occur. Untreated, the patient steadily loses weight and, unless appropriate treatment is started early, death may be expected because of exhaustion and some intercurrent infection.

Treatment This consists of bed rest, a high-protein diet (initially skimmed milk), and treatment of the anaemia and any other de?ciencies present. Minimum fat should be given to sufferers, who should also take folic acid and cyanocobalamin for the anaemia; large vitamin-B-complex supplements (such as Marmite®) are helpful. Vitamins A and D, together with calcium supplements, help to raise the concentration of calcium in the blood. A long convalescence is often required, which may lead to marked depression, and patients should be sent home to a temperate climate.

Non-tropical sprue is the result of GLUTEN hypersensitivty and is treated with a gluten-free diet.... sprue

The body’s most abundant mineral, essential for cell function, muscle contraction, the transmission of nerve impulses, and blood clotting. Calcium phosphate is the hard basic constituent of teeth and bones. Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, eggs, and green, leafy vegetables. Calcium uptake is facilitated by vitamin D.

The body’s calcium levels are controlled by parathyroid hormone and calcitonin.

Abnormally high levels in the blood (hypercalcaemia) or abnormally low levels (hypocalcaemia) may seriously disrupt cell function, particularly in muscles and nerves. (See also mineral supplements.)... calcium

An abnormal breathing sound caused by narrowing or obstruction of the larynx or trachea.

Stridor is most common in young children.

It usually occurs in croup.

Other causes include epiglottitis, an inhaled foreign body, hypocalcaemia, and some larynx disorders.... stridor

Spasms and twitching of the muscles, most commonly in the hands and feet, although the muscles of the face, larynx, or spine may also be affected. The spasms are caused by a biochemical disturbance and are painless at first; if the condition persists, the spasms tend to become increasingly painful. Muscle damage may result if the underlying cause is not treated. The most common underlying cause is hypocalcaemia. Other causes include hypokalaemia, hyperventilation during a panic attack, or, more rarely, hypoparathyroidism.... tetany

a hereditary condition resulting in an inability to fight infections (immunodeficiency) associated with absence of the parathyroid gland and the thymus, abnormalities of the heart, and low calcium levels. Affected children are prone to *Candida infections and often present with *failure to thrive. The condition has also been named CATCH-22: Cardiac abnormalities, Abnormal facies, T-cell deficiency (from absent thymus), Cleft palate, Hypocalcaemia, chromosome 22 (in which the defect lies). [A. M. di George (1921–2009), US paediatrician]... di george syndrome

n. the presence in the blood of an abnormally high concentration of calcium. There are many causes, including excessive ingestion of vitamin D, overactivity of the *parathyroid glands, and malignant disease. Malignant hypercalcaemia results from the secretion by the tumour of substances (most commonly *parathyroid hormone-related protein) that stimulate bone resorption or from bone metastases causing localized destruction and release of calcium into the bloodstream. Hypercalcaemia may also occur as an inherited congenital condition, for example familial benign (or hypocalciuric) hypercalcaemia or *Williams syndrome. Compare hypocalcaemia.... hypercalcaemia

n. any generalized bone disease resulting from a metabolic disorder. In renal osteodystrophy chronic kidney failure leads to diffuse bone changes resulting from a number of factors, including osteomalacia, secondary *hyperparathyroidism stimulated by hypocalcaemia and hyperphosphataemia, acidosis from the renal failure, and metastatic calcification related to high levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood. See also Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy.... osteodystrophy

spasmodic contractions of muscles, especially the muscles of mastication, in response to nerve stimulation (e.g. by tapping). It is a characteristic sign of hypocalcaemia (see tetany). [A. Trousseau (1801–67), French physician]... trousseau’s sign