Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypocalcemia is one of the most common electrolyte disorders. It is defined by a total calcium level <2.12 mmol/l (85 mg/l). Acute hypocalcemia is considered as a medical emergency.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and etiological profile of patients undergoing treatment for acute hypocalcemia, as well as the management.

Patients Et Methods: This is a retrospective study including 60 patients hospitalized in the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca for acute hypocalcemia from January 2020 to December 2023. Patients with renal insufficiency were excluded. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0.

Results: The mean age was 40 years with a female predominance of 78%. The average duration of symptoms was 16 days. Patients experienced tetany episodes, with 33% showing QT interval prolongation on ECG. The mean corrected calcium level at admission was 59 mg/l. Etiologies included 72% post-surgical hypoparathyroidism, 22% autoimmune hypoparathyroidism, 5% pseudo-hypoparathyroidism, and 1% infiltrative hypoparathyroidism (hemochromatosis). Before hospitalization, 80% of patients were already on replacement therapy with poor therapeutic compliance. Patients received intravenous calcium infusion with a good clinical and biological response.

Conclusion: Acute hypocalcemia is a life-threatening emergency, requiring careful evaluation by clinicians for diagnosis and management. Patients with hypoparathyroidism should be educated about the vital necessity of replacement therapy.