Secretion of parathyroid hormone after surgical trauma

Parathyroid hormone was measured in nine patients subjected to surgery under general anaesthesia not involving operative bone trauma. Total calcium concentration, ionized serum calcium and serum albumin was also analyzed pre- and post-operatively. An increase in serum parathyroid hormone was registered postoperatively without any accompanying decrease in ionized serum calcium. The measured changes are at present unexplained, but can be caused by other mechanisms than bone trauma.