Hypercalcemia of Malignancy: Drug Therapy Pearls

Hypercalcemia of malignancy is an unfortunate complication that develops in up to 30% of patients with cancer.1 It is considered an oncologic emergency requiring prompt treatment and has a mortality rate as high as 50% within 30 days. These patients often present with symptoms such as altered mental status, skeletal pain, nausea, abdominal pain, and the formation of renal calculi because of a quicker onset of higher serum calcium (sCa) levels.2 Corrected sCa levels typically range from 10.5 mg/dL to> 14 mg/dL with the severity of symptoms increasing proportionally to the sCa level.
Source: The Journal for Nurse Practitioners - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Prescription Pad Source Type: research