hypercalcemia
(hī″pĕr-kal-sē′mē-ă)
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[hyper- + calci- + -emia]
An excessive amount of calcium in the blood. Causes include primary hyperparathyroidism, lithium therapy, malignancies (such as solid tumors and hematological malignancies), vitamin D intoxication, hyperthyroidism, vitamin A intoxication, aluminum intoxication, and milk-alkali syndrome.
SYMPTOMS
Clinically, fatigue, depression, confusion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, renal stones, increased urination, and occasional cardiac arrhythmias are present. A short Q-T interval is present.
TREATMENT
Patients initially should be given hydration with saline, followed by diuretics after dehydration has been resolved. Bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids, and other drugs may be administered to lower serum calcium levels. Therapy is also directed at the underlying cause of the high serum calcium levels, e.g., by treating underlying malignancies or by excising overactive parathyroid glands.
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Citation
Venes, Donald, editor. "Hypercalcemia." Taber's Medical Dictionary, 24th ed., F.A. Davis Company, 2021. Nursing Central, nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/748037/all/hypercalcemia.
Hypercalcemia. In: Venes DD, ed. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2021. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/748037/all/hypercalcemia. Accessed October 14, 2024.
Hypercalcemia. (2021). In Venes, D. (Ed.), Taber's Medical Dictionary (24th ed.). F.A. Davis Company. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/748037/all/hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia [Internet]. In: Venes DD, editors. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2021. [cited 2024 October 14]. Available from: https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/748037/all/hypercalcemia.
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