Hypocalcemia, severe or symptomatic: Difference between revisions

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== Additional Info ==
== Additional Info ==
*NOTE: '''The cutoff values immediately below are for total serum calcium.  For patients with substantial hypoalbuminemia using total calcium to define hypcalcemia is a problem --- see the "Be Aware" note below.
=== Thresholds for pts with regular albumin levels ===
*The parameters for coding hypocalcemia are any of the following 3 items:  (This change is active as of Feb 12, 2018)
*The parameters for coding hypocalcemia are any of the following 3 items:  (This change is active as of Feb 12, 2018)
**Ca++ < 1.8 '''OR'''  
**'''Ca++ < 1.8 '''OR'''  
**Any Ca++ < 2.2 AND in the presence of signs or symptoms believed to be due to hypocalcemia '''OR'''
**'''Any Ca++ < 2.2 AND in the presence of signs or symptoms believed to be due to hypocalcemia''' '''OR'''
**Any Ca++ < 2.2 with active treatment for hypocalcemia  
**'''Any Ca++ < 2.2 with active treatment for hypocalcemia '''
 
=== Thresholds for pts with hypoalbuminemia  ===
For patients with substantial hypoalbuminemia using total calcium to define hypcalcemia is a problem.
* These cutoff numbers are all for total serum calcium. But it's actually the ionized serum calcium that's relevant and causes symptoms when high or low -- AND the usual range for total calcium is altered (downwards) in patients with low serum albumin.  So you can have a completely normal ionized calcium with a very low total calcium if the albumin is significantly low.  Furthermore, the old "correction" of total calcium for measured albumin does not work well at all.  Thus, to identify truly low circulating calcium in the presence of more than trivial hypoalbuminemia, it's necessary to measure an ionized calcium.
**So to diagnose ionized hypocalcemia use these thresholds for ionized (not total) serum calcium:
***'''Ca++ <0.9 regardless, OR <1.15 with symptoms or being treated for it'''
 
=== Signs and symptoms ===
*Main signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia are:
*Main signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia are:
**GI - nausea\vomiting, abdominal pain
**GI - nausea\vomiting, abdominal pain
**Neuromuscular - paresthesias (esp. acral, perioral), muscle cramps\spasms, hyperreflexia * tetany, weakness, fatigue, seizures, extrapyramidal movement disorders, abnormal EEG
**Neuromuscular - paresthesias (esp. acral, perioral), muscle cramps\spasms, hyperreflexia, tetany, weakness, fatigue, seizures, extrapyramidal movement disorders, abnormal EEG
**cardiovascular - long QT interval, hypotension (if acute), arrythmias
**cardiovascular - long QT interval, hypotension (if acute), arrythmias
**miscellaneous - secondary hypoparathyroidism
**miscellaneous - secondary hypoparathyroidism
*'''Be Aware''': These cutoff numbers are all for total serum calcium. But it's actually the ionized serum calcium that's relevant and causes symptoms when high or low -- AND the usual range for total calcium is altered (downwards) in patients with low serum albumin.  So you can have a completely normal ionized calcium with a very low total calcium if the albumin is significantly low.  Furthermore, the old "correction" of total calcium for measured albumin does not work well at all.  Thus, to identify truly low circulating calcium in the presence of more than trivial hypoalbuminemia, it's necessary to measure an ionized calcium.
**So to diagnose ionized hypocalcemia use these thresholds for ionized (not total) serum calcium:
***Ca++ <0.9 regardless, OR <1.15 with symptoms or being treated for it


== Alternate ICD10s to consider coding instead or in addition ==
== Alternate ICD10s to consider coding instead or in addition ==

Revision as of 07:37, 2019 April 30

ICD10 Diagnosis
Dx: Hypocalcemia, severe or symptomatic
ICD10 code: E83.51
Pre-ICD10 counterpart: Hypocalcemia Ca Less Than 1.8
Charlson/ALERT Scale: none
APACHE Como Component: none
APACHE Acute Component: 2019-0: Metabolic/Renal NOS, 2019-0: Renal/Metabolic NOS
Start Date:
Stop Date:
External ICD10 Documentation

This diagnosis is a part of ICD10 collection.

  • SMW
    • 2019-01-01
    • 2999-12-31
    • E83.51
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories

Additional Info

Thresholds for pts with regular albumin levels

  • The parameters for coding hypocalcemia are any of the following 3 items: (This change is active as of Feb 12, 2018)
    • Ca++ < 1.8 OR
    • Any Ca++ < 2.2 AND in the presence of signs or symptoms believed to be due to hypocalcemia OR
    • Any Ca++ < 2.2 with active treatment for hypocalcemia

Thresholds for pts with hypoalbuminemia

For patients with substantial hypoalbuminemia using total calcium to define hypcalcemia is a problem.

  • These cutoff numbers are all for total serum calcium. But it's actually the ionized serum calcium that's relevant and causes symptoms when high or low -- AND the usual range for total calcium is altered (downwards) in patients with low serum albumin. So you can have a completely normal ionized calcium with a very low total calcium if the albumin is significantly low. Furthermore, the old "correction" of total calcium for measured albumin does not work well at all. Thus, to identify truly low circulating calcium in the presence of more than trivial hypoalbuminemia, it's necessary to measure an ionized calcium.
    • So to diagnose ionized hypocalcemia use these thresholds for ionized (not total) serum calcium:
      • Ca++ <0.9 regardless, OR <1.15 with symptoms or being treated for it

Signs and symptoms

  • Main signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia are:
    • GI - nausea\vomiting, abdominal pain
    • Neuromuscular - paresthesias (esp. acral, perioral), muscle cramps\spasms, hyperreflexia, tetany, weakness, fatigue, seizures, extrapyramidal movement disorders, abnormal EEG
    • cardiovascular - long QT interval, hypotension (if acute), arrythmias
    • miscellaneous - secondary hypoparathyroidism

Alternate ICD10s to consider coding instead or in addition

Candidate Combined ICD10 codes

Related CCI Codes

Data Integrity Checks (automatic list)

none found

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