Podcast #292: Hypercalcemia

Author: John Winkler, M.D.

Educational Pearls

• Normally, the parathyroid is the master regulator of serum Ca levels. It secretes PTH, which stimulates calcium uptake from the bone and gut.
• Causes of hypercalcemia include: parathyroid tumor, lytic bone lesions (multiple myeloma), breast cancer, renal injury, and some lung cancers.
• Hypercalcemia can lead to poor bone quality and pathological fractures. It can also cause heart arrhythmias.
• It is important to order an ionized calcium to quantify the level of hypercalcemia, since calcium binds to albumin.
• Treatment for hypercalcemia includes fluids and loop diuretics.

References: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/766373-treatment