title: Intact parathormone measurement 1 hour after total thyroidectomy as a predictor of symptomatic hypocalcemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative iPTH assay may predict significant hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of iPTH assay to monitor parathyroid function and to identify the risk of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients underwent thyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients participated in the study (7 male and 93 female). Hypocalcemia was defined as a serum calcium concentration less than 8.0 mg/dL and symptoms of hypocalcemia. Concomitant serum calcium and iPTH levels were measured before operation and at 1(st) h for iPTH, 24(th) h for calcium after thyroidectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative hypocalcemia was observed in 31 patients. The mean postoperative serum calcium concentration in normocalcemic patients was 8.8 ± 0.5 mg/dL, whereas it was 7.6 ± 0.3 mg/dL in hypocalcemic patients. The mean postoperative 1(st) hour iPTH of patients in the hypocalcemia group was 9.1 ± 4.9 pg/mL, whereas patients of the normocalcemia group had a mean postoperative iPTH of 35.8 ± 20.2 pg/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative 1(st) hour iPTH < 8 pg/mL with drop in iPTH level ≥ 81.5% together showed the highest diagnostic accuracy in predicting postoperative hypocalcemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kadirli State Hospital Osmaniye, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kala
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Inanc Samil
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Sarici
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Kadirli State Hospital Osmaniye Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal Turker
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ulutas
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sevim
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Talha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarigoz
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Baki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tastan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Topuz
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ertan
keywords: Hypocalcemia; intact parathyroid hormone; thyroid surgery