Postoperative calcium levels as a diagnostic measure for hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to identify a fast, efficient and low-cost method to diagnose hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy.Materials and methodsOne hundred and forty medical records, which contained patients’ clinical and laboratory data, were retrospectively analyzed. Patient parathyroid hormone values, which were obtained immediately following operation, were compared with their ionized calcium levels the morning after surgery. This comparison was used to examine the correlation between the two variables in predicting hypoparathyroidism because measuring calcium levels is low-cost and more available in the hospitals compared to measuring parathormone (PTH) levels.ResultsThere was a positive and statistically significant correlation between PTH and ionized calcium values (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.456; p