Paeds Vivas · endocrinology-diabetes-and-growth
Hypocalcaemia and hypoparathyroidism — viva
Branching structured oral on hypocalcaemia and hypoparathyroidism in children, covering the calcium-PTH axis, PTH-led classification, acute management, neonatal hypocalcaemia, and the hypoparathyroidism versus pseudohypoparathyroidism split.
On this page
Study tools
Target exams
Opening (must-hit)
"I will treat this as an emergency first: she has symptomatic hypocalcaemia with carpopedal spasm, so I will give intravenous 10% calcium gluconate at 0.5 millilitres per kilogram over 5 to 10 minutes slowly with cardiac monitoring. The diagnosis is postsurgical hypoparathyroidism — the undetectable PTH five days after total thyroidectomy confirms it. Once she is stable, I will start oral calcium and calcitriol, check her magnesium, and plan serial calcium monitoring because some of these cases recover and some are permanent." [1][3]
References6ShowHide
- [1]Brandi ML; Bilezikian JP; Shoback D; et al Management of Hypoparathyroidism: Summary Statement and Guidelines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2016.PMID 26943719
- [3]Mannstadt M; Bilezikian JP; Thakker RV; et al Hypoparathyroidism. Nat Rev Dis Primers, 2017.PMID 28857066
- [4]Mantovani G; Bastepe M; Monk D; et al Diagnosis and management of pseudohypoparathyroidism and related disorders: first international Consensus Statement. Nat Rev Endocrinol, 2018.PMID 29959430
- [5]Winer KK; Kelly A; Johns A; et al Long-Term Parathyroid Hormone 1-34 Replacement Therapy in Children with Hypoparathyroidism. J Pediatr, 2018.PMID 30470382
- [7]Khan AA; Clarke BL; Rejnmark L; et al Best practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of hypoparathyroidism. Metabolism, 2025.PMID 40581321
- [8]Hsu SC; Levine MA Perinatal calcium metabolism: physiology and pathophysiology. Semin Neonatol, 2004.PMID 15013473