FIRST DAY SERUM CALCIUM AND PARATHYROID HORMONE LEVELS AS PREDICTIVE FACTORS FOR SAFE DISCHARGE AFTER THYROIDECTOMY.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Surgical Complications
• Metabolic Disorders

Background:

• Permanent hypocalcemia is a rare but significant complication following thyroid surgery.
• Accurate prediction of hypocalcemia and hypoparathyroidism is essential for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictive factors for hypocalcemia and hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy.
• To establish reliable markers for early risk assessment of postoperative hypocalcemia.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 134 patients undergoing thyroidectomy.
• Measurement of total serum calcium (sCa) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) on postoperative day one and at 1 month.
• Statistical analysis to determine predictive values and risk factors.

Main Results:

• Serum calcium (sCa) < 8.05 mg/dL and intact PTH (iPTH) < 11.2 pg/mL at 24 hours post-surgery were significant predictors.
• sCa < 8.05 mg/dL showed a high predictive value (sensitivity 85.29%, specificity 88.0%).
• iPTH < 11.2 pg/mL also demonstrated predictive capability (sensitivity 82.3%, specificity 71.0%).

Conclusions:

• Serum calcium (sCa) and intact PTH (iPTH) are effective predictors of early hospital discharge.
• These biochemical markers can predict the risk of prolonged and permanent hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy.