title: Comparison of Intraoperative versus Postoperative Parathyroid Hormone Levels to Predict Hypocalcemia Earlier after Total Thyroidectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine differences in the mean parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels for normocalcemic and hypocalcemic total thyroidectomy patients who were tested for PTH during the intraoperative or early postoperative period.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database, and other databases from 1960 to 2014 in the English language and specific to humans for relevant articles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were included if PTH was obtained within 24 hours of thyroidectomy. Studies were excluded (1) if only a hemithyroidectomy was performed, (2) if means of studied PTH values were not reported in the article, or (3) if the time of the PTH draw fell outside of defined "intraoperative" or "early postoperative" windows. PTH values were divided into 3 groups: preoperative (control group), intraoperative (ie, discharge decisions were based on PTH values drawn in the operating room), and early postoperative (ie, PTH values at 1 to 4 hours after surgery were used as a guide).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reported means of perioperative PTH levels and percentage of patients who developed hypocalcemia were collected from 14 studies. PTH evaluated at both the intraoperative and early postoperative periods was significantly lower in patients who became hypocalcemic versus patients who remained normocalcemic. There was no significant difference when PTH was measured intraoperatively or early postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraoperative PTH has no significant disadvantage versus early postoperative PTH when used as a clinical guide for discharge after thyroidectomy.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Thyroid Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hinson
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, College of Medicine and College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Affairs and Library Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Steelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Thyroid Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bodenner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Thyroid Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA bstack@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Brendan C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Stack
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone
keywords: hypocalcemia; intraoperative; parathyroid hormone assay; postoperative; same-day discharge; thyroid surgery; thyroidectomy