Why is calcium affected in pancreatitis?

When the pancreas is damaged, free fatty acids are generated by the action of pancreatic lipase. Insoluble calcium salts are present in the pancreas, and the free fatty acids avidly chelate the salts, resulting in calcium deposition in the retroperitoneum.

Why is calcium affected by albumin?

The physiological basis for the albumin adjustment is the theory that when albumin is reduced, the amount of calcium bound to albumin is also reduced, such that the total serum calcium may be low despite a normal ionized calcium concentration.

Why is albumin low in pancreatitis?

The mechanisms of hypoalbuminemia in acute pancreatitis are diverse [11, 33, 34]: (i) a decrease in energy or amino acid supply due to fasting and increased tissue catabolism in acute pancreatitis, (ii) excessive release of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor α in the …

How does high albumin affect calcium levels?

Whitaker and other experts recommend calculating a corrected calcium level by using the values for both calcium and albumin. A high albumin level, above 4, can artificially elevate the measured calcium; a low albumin level, below 4, can artificially lower the measure of calcium.

Why does albumin decrease in inflammation in pancreatitis?

It is concluded that a low serum albumin should be regarded as the most common cause of a low serum calcium in acute pancreatitis. Routine albumin administration is proposed, a procedure which has been shown to be associated with improved mortality rate and morbidity in this disease.

What causes low serum calcium in acute pancreatitis?

Mortality and severity of acute pancreatitis related as closely to hypoalbuminaemia as to uncorrected hypocalcaemia. It is concluded that a low serum albumin should be regarded as the most common cause of a low serum calcium in acute pancreatitis.

Can a correction of serum calcium be made for albumin levels?

When correction of serum calcium was made for albumin levels, only 10.9% of all results represented varying degrees of ‘true’ hypocalcaemia. Mortality and severity of acute pancreatitis related as closely to hypoalbuminaemia as to uncorrected hypocalcaemia.

How is hypocalcemia corrected in acute pancreatitis?

Correction of hypocalcemia by parenteral calcium infusion remains a controversial topic as intracellular calcium overload is the central mechanism of acinar cell injury in pancreatitis. The current article deals with the art and science of calcium correction in pancreatitis patients. Keywords: Acute pancreatitis, calcium, hypocalcemia Go to: