Predictive factors for hypocalcaemia in post-thyroidectomy patients: A prospective cohort study

• Published in: Journal of Clinical and Scientific Research
• Main Authors: Francis Neethu, Kizhakkepurakkal Vijayan Arun, Mohanan Kesavan Pulluvelickal, Thekkuttuparambil Ananthanarayanan Ajith
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-06-01
• Subjects: hypocalcaemia; hypomagnesaemia; paraesthesia; thyroidectomy
• Online Access: https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jcsr.jcsr_252_22
• ISSN: 2277-5706; 2277-8357

Background: Hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy is a relatively common complication, which is sometimes difficult to correct. Methods: In this cohort study, we assessed the predictive factors for laboratory hypocalcaemia and symptomatic in patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2018–June 2019. Results: A total of 170 patients (153 women) were studied. Laboratory hypocalcaemia was found in 91.2% of patients, while 62.7% manifested symptomatic hypocalcaemia. Of the patients with symptomatic hypocalcaemia/(36%) had hypomagnesaemia as well. Univariate analysis revealed that type of disease (P = 0.0001), duration of surgery (P = 0.001), duration of disease (P = 0.005), type of surgery (P = 0.032) and hypomagnesaemia (P = 0.002) were significantly associated with hypocalcaemia. Age did not play a key role in the development of hypocalcaemia. Hypocalcaemia did not respond to supplementation without correcting the hypomagnesaemia. Conclusions: Type of disease, duration of disease, duration of surgery, type of surgery and hypomagnesaemia were risk factors. Age did not play a key role in the development of hypocalcaemia. Hypocalcaemia did not respond to supplementation without correcting the hypomagnesaemia. Adequate intervention can be started earlier to reduce the duration of hospital stay.