Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The incidence of post thyroidectomy hypocalcemia varies from 10–50%. Treatment is either prophylactic or therapeutic calcium and vitamin D supplementation. We evaluated the utility of thiazide diuretics in the management of hypocalcemia prospectively.

Material and methods: This study was conducted in Endocrine Surgery department of a teritiary care teaching hospital. We included 104 patients of total thyroidectomy in the study. 44 cases had normocalcemia (Group A), 29 cases developed biochemical hypocalcemia (Group B) and 31 patients suffered from clinical hypocalcemia (Group C). All the three groups were subdivided in to non- intervention and intervention groups. 25 mg of thiazide was given orally in intervention subgroup. Results were analysed with SPSS 12.0. (P value < 0.05 was taken as significant)

Results: In group A, 4 patients in intervention and 2 in non-intervention subgroups developed biochemical hypocalcemia and 2 in intervention and 3 in non-intervention subgroups developed clinical hypocalcemia respectively. P value was non-significant at 0.116. In group B, 1/15 patients in intervention subgroup and 6/14 patients in non-intervention subgroup progressed to clinical hypocalcemia. This result was 0.03 (statistically significant). In group C, mean duration of calcium infusion was 19 hours (12–36) in intervention subgroup and 27.5 hours (24–72) in non-intervention group. Result was not statistically significant (P value =0.09)

Conclusion: These preliminary results could justify the additive role of thiazide diuretic in the secondary prophylaxis of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector