Grube M, Weber F, Kahl AL, et al. - In dialysis patients, severe hypocalcemia develops following parathyroidectomy (PTx). Researchers aimed at determining the effect of administering high doses of active vitamin D immediately following PTx on the development of hypocalcemia.

• A retrospective review of 111 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent subtotal PTx.

• Sixty-seven patients received 12 μg alfacalcidol in combination with 8.550 mg calcium acetate per day, which was then adapted according to lab values (the high dose group “HDG”) and 44 received up to 4 μg alfacalcidol per day (the low dose group “LDG”).

• Both groups had the assumed drops in parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium after PTx.

• There appeared an ongoing high turnover in the 2nd and 3rd week after PTx.

• Outcomes revealed diminishing of the episodes of severe hypocalcemia and the need for intravenous calcium in correlation with administration of high doses of alfacalcidol combined with calcium acetate.