OBJECTIVE: In operations involving the thyroid or parathyroid glands, postoperative serum @entity460 levels are one contributing factor to @entity1 ' length of hospital stay. In this study, we wanted to determine whether early postoperative serum @entity460 levels could be used to predict @entity3747 following operations of the thyroid or parathyroid glands. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on 203 @entity1 who had undergone operations involving risk to the parathyroid glands. This included @entity1 who had bilateral thyroid operations or those who had one or more parathyroid glands removed for various disease processes. Postoperative @entity460 levels were plotted as a function of time, and the slope between the first two levels was examined. Both serum @entity460 levels were drawn within 12 hours after the operation. RESULTS: A positive slope predicted normocalcemia in 100% of @entity1 undergoing thyroid or parathyroid procedures. A negative slope was predictive in magnitude. @entity1 who developed @entity3747 had an average slope two to three times more negative than those remaining normocalcemic. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that early serum @entity460 levels may be predictive for postoperative @entity3747 in operations that put the parathyroid glands at risk.

Predictability of @entity3747 using early postoperative serum XXXX levels.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'Patients'] @entity3747 :: ('MESH:D006996', 'Disease') :: ['hypocalcemia'] @entity460 :: ('MESH:D002118', 'Chemical') :: ['calcium']
@entity460 :: (MESH:D002118,Chemical) :: ['calcium']
