Hypocalcemia in a Saudi intensive care unit.

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Hypocalcemia is a frequent complication in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
• Existing data suggests a link between hypocalcemia and disease severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of hypocalcemia in ICU patients.
• To explore the correlation between hypocalcemia and disease severity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of ICU patients from January 2004 to December 2004.
• Collected data included age, sex, diagnosis, APACHE II scores, and ionized calcium levels.
• Patients were stratified into three groups based on APACHE II scores; hypocalcemia defined as ionized calcium < 1.18 mmol/L.

Main Results:

• Hypocalcemia prevalence increased with disease severity: 22.2% (APACHE II < 10), 40.4% (APACHE II 10-19), and 53.9% (APACHE II > 19).
• A significant negative correlation was found between hypocalcemia and APACHE II scores (P = 0.02).
• Mean ionized calcium levels were 1.22 ± 0.10 mmol/L (Group A), 1.19 ± 0.11 mmol/L (Group B), and 1.25 ± 0.24 mmol/L (Group C).

Conclusions:

• Hypocalcemia is a common finding in critically ill patients.
• Hypocalcemia is correlated with increased disease severity in the ICU.
• Further research is needed on the mechanisms of hypocalcemia and its impact on mortality.