Hypocalcemia pathophysiology

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Pathophysiology

Alkalosis

In alkalosis, hydrogen ions dissociate from the negatively charged albumin, which allows for increased calcium binding and leads to a decreased concentration of free calcium.

For an increase in pH of 0.1 unit, there is an approximately 0.05 mmol/L (0.1 mEq/L) fall in the serum level of ionized calcium.

Respiratory Alkalosis

Reduced ionized calcium concentration and hypocapnia associated with hyperventilation may contribute to symptoms of vasoconstriction including lightheadedness, fainting, and parasthesia.

Globulin Binding

Calcium binding to globulin is relatively small (1.0 g of globulin binds 0.2–0.3 mg of calcium) and generally does not influence the total serum calcium concentration.