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Hypocalcaemia in a paediatric intensive care unit

Sunit C Singhi1, Jagjeet Singh, Rajendra Prasad

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. drsinghi@glide.net.in

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|November 8, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Hypocalcaemia, or low calcium levels, is common in critically ill children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This condition is linked to significantly higher mortality rates in these vulnerable patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Limited data exists on hypocalcaemia incidence in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), particularly from developing nations.
  • Hypocalcaemia is a potential complication in critically ill children, impacting patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of hypocalcaemia in critically ill children admitted to a PICU.
  • To correlate serum calcium levels with patient outcomes, including mortality.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study of 100 children admitted to a tertiary-care PICU.
  • Serum calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium levels were measured on admission and every alternate day.
  • Ionized calcium and arterial blood pH were also assessed at admission and periodically.

Main Results:

  • Hypocalcaemia was present in 35% of patients on admission and developed in an additional 13% during their hospital stay.
  • The incidence rates were 22.4 episodes/100 patient days for serum hypocalcaemia and 32.4 for ionized hypocalcaemia.
  • Mortality was significantly higher in hypocalcaemic patients (28.3%) compared to normocalcaemic patients (7.5%).

Conclusions:

  • Hypocalcaemia is a frequent occurrence in critically ill children within a PICU setting.
  • The presence of hypocalcaemia is significantly associated with increased mortality in this patient population.

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