Definition for Hypocalcemia
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Hypocalcemia is a laboratory and clinical abnormality that is observed with relative frequency, especially in neonatal pediatric patients. Laboratory hypocalcemia is often asymptomatic, and its treatment in neonates is controversial. However, children with hypocalcemia in pediatric intensive care units have mortality rates higher than those of children with normal calcium levels.
Hypocalcemia is defined as a total serum calcium concentration of less than 2.1 mmol/L (8.5 mg/dL) in children, less than 2 mmol/L (8 mg/dL) in term neonates, and less than 1.75 mmol/L (7 mg/dL) in preterm neonates.