What is the difference between phosphate depletion and hypophosphatemia?
Phosphate depletion is a decrease in the total body soluble phosphate. Hypophosphatemia is a low serum phosphate level. Hypophosphatemia can be due to a decreased total phosphate level or to altered transcellular distribution of phosphorus into the intracellular compartment. Often, patients with phosphate depletion can maintain normal phosphate levels for a while, but are predisposed to sudden and acute drops in phosphate levels from events that shift phosphate into cells.
