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What is Calcium Gluconate
Calcium gluconate is the calcium salt of gluconic acid. Calcium is the most abundant cation and the fifth most common inorganic element in the human body.
Calcium is essential for the maintenance of the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems, and for cell membrane and capillary permeability.
Its role in bone structure and muscle contraction is well known, but calcium is also important for blood coagulation, nerve conduction, and electrical conduction in the myocardium. In general, calcium salts are used to treat or prevent calcium depletion.
Calcium is used for the temporary control of cardiac arrhythmias; however, parenteral calcium is recommended for the treatment of cardiac arrest or life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias only when associated with hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, or hypermagnesemia.
Calcium gluconate contains less elemental calcium than calcium chloride (9% elemental calcium versus 27%) and is usually not the preferred salt form for use in acute hypocalcemia in emergent situations; however, calcium gluconate is usually preferred in the nonarrest setting for mild to moderate, asymptomatic hypocalcemia due to the lower potential for infusion site reactions compared with calcium chloride.
Calcium is recognized as an important agent in preventing osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.
However, calcium gluconate as a dietary supplement is not practical due to the small concentration of elemental calcium contained in the tablets.
Indications
- cardiac arrest
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- hyperkalemia
- hypermagnesemia
- hypocalcemia
- nutritional supplementation
- tetany due to hypocalcemia
- transfusion-induced hypocalcemia prophylaxis
- verapamil toxicity
- Calcium gluconate is 9.3% elemental calcium, which is equivalent to 93 mg of elemental calcium (4.65 mEq) per gram of calcium gluconate.
Side Effects
- aluminum toxicity
- anorexia
- AV block
- bradycardia
- calcinosis cutis
- cardiac arrest
- coma
- confusion
- constipation
- delirium
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- dysgeusia
- erythema
- flushing
- hypercalcemia
- hypertension
- hypotension
- injection site reaction
- nausea
- nephrolithiasis
- paresthesias
- peripheral vasodilation
- polyuria
- premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
- syncope
- tissue necrosis
- ventricular fibrillation
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- serum albumin
- serum calcium
Contraindications
- bradycardia
- breast-feeding
- cardiac arrest
- cardiac arrhythmias
- coadministration of ceftriaxone
- digitalis toxicity
- extravasation
- hypercalcemia
- hypercalciuria
- hyperparathyroidism
- hypotension
- intramuscular administration
- nephrolithiasis
- pregnancy
- premature neonates
- renal failure
- renal impairment
- sarcoidosis
- subcutaneous administration
- syncope
- tissue necrosis
- vitamin D toxicity
Interactions
- Abacavir; Dolutegravir; Lamivudine
- Aliskiren; Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Aliskiren; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Amiloride; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Olmesartan
- Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Valsartan
- Aspirin, ASA; Citric Acid; Sodium Bicarbonate
- Atenolol
- Atenolol; Chlorthalidone
- Azilsartan; Chlorthalidone
- Baloxavir Marboxil
- Benazepril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Bendroflumethiazide; Nadolol
- Betamethasone; Calcipotriene
- Bictegravir; Emtricitabine; Tenofovir Alafenamide
- Bisoprolol; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Bisphosphonates
- Calcipotriene
- Calcitonin
- Calcium Phosphate, Supersaturated
- Candesartan; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Captopril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Cardiac glycosides
- Ceftriaxone
- Chlorothiazide
- Chlorthalidone
- Chlorthalidone; Clonidine
- Ciprofloxacin
- Conjugated Estrogens
- Conjugated Estrogens; Bazedoxifene
- Conjugated Estrogens; Medroxyprogesterone
- Delafloxacin
- Dienogest; Estradiol valerate
- Diethylstilbestrol, DES
- Dolutegravir
- Dolutegravir; Lamivudine
- Dolutegravir; Rilpivirine
- Drospirenone; Estradiol
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol; Levomefolate
- Edetate Calcium Disodium, Calcium EDTA
- Edetate Disodium, Disodium EDTA
- Elagolix; Estradiol; Norethindrone acetate
- Eltrombopag
- Enalapril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Eprosartan; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Esterified Estrogens
- Esterified Estrogens; Methyltestosterone
- Estradiol
- Estradiol Cypionate; Medroxyprogesterone
- Estradiol; Levonorgestrel
- Estradiol; Norethindrone
- Estradiol; Norgestimate
- Estradiol; Progesterone
- Estramustine
- Estrogens
- Estropipate
- Ethinyl Estradiol
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Desogestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Ethynodiol Diacetate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Etonogestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel; Ferrous bisglycinate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel; Folic Acid; Levomefolate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norelgestromin
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone Acetate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone Acetate; Ferrous fumarate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone; Ferrous fumarate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norgestimate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norgestrel
- Ethotoin
- Fosinopril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Gallium
- Hydralazine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Irbesartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Lisinopril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Losartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Methyldopa
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Metoprolol
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Moexipril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Olmesartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Propranolol
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Quinapril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Spironolactone
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Telmisartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Triamterene
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Valsartan
- Ibritumomab Tiuxetan
- Levofloxacin
- Mestranol; Norethindrone
- Methyclothiazide
- Metolazone
- Moxifloxacin
- Neuromuscular blockers
- Norfloxacin
- Ofloxacin
- Omeprazole; Sodium Bicarbonate
- Phenytoin
- Phosphorated Carbohydrate Solution
- Phosphorus
- Potassium Phosphate
- Potassium Phosphate; Sodium Phosphate
- Segesterone Acetate; Ethinyl Estradiol
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Sodium Fluoride
- Sodium Phosphate Monobasic Monohydrate; Sodium Phosphate Dibasic Anhydrous
- Sucralfate
- Tetracyclines
- Thiazide diuretics
- Thyroid hormones
- Trientine
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D analogs
