Hypocalcemia electrocardiogram

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vamsikrishna Gunnam M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Altered levels of ionized serum calcium levels can produce typical changes on the electrocardiogram(ECG). Duration of the ST segment in the ECG is very specific in the patients with hypocalcemia.

Electrocardiogram

Duration of the ST segment in the ECG is very specific in the patients with hypocalcemia^[1]^[2]^[3]
- Shortening of the ST segment with high levels of calcium
- Prolongs of the ST segment with low levels of calcium
Prolongation of the QTc interval is the major ECG finding
There is a lengthening of the interval between the end of the QRS and the beginning of the T wave (i.e. ST-segment lengthening).

References

↑ Gardner JD, Calkins JB, Garrison GE (2014). “ECG diagnosis: The effect of ionized serum calcium levels on electrocardiogram”. Perm J. 18 (1): e119–20. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-025. PMC 3951043. PMID 24626084.
↑ Scheidegger D, Drop LJ (August 1979). “The relationship between duration of Q-T interval and plasma ionized calcium concentration: experiments with acute, steady-state [Ca++] changes in the dog”. Anesthesiology. 51 (2): 143–8. PMID 453616.
↑ Rumancik WM, Denlinger JK, Nahrwold ML, Falk RB (July 1978). “The QT interval and serum ionized calcium”. JAMA. 240 (4): 366–8. PMID 660871.

Overview