Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How well total calcium predicts ionized calcium in cats
By Schenck, Patricia A & Chew, Dennis J·Published in Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire·2010·Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prediction of serum ionized calcium concentration by serum total calcium measurement in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at blood samples from cats to see how well total calcium levels could predict ionized calcium levels, which are important for health. The researchers found that using total calcium to guess ionized calcium was often inaccurate, especially in cats with chronic kidney disease. In fact, there was a 40% chance of getting it wrong. Because of this, if a vet needs to know the exact calcium levels in a cat, it's better to measure ionized calcium directly rather than relying on total calcium.
People also search for: cat high calcium levels · cat kidney disease calcium · how to test calcium levels in cats
Abstract
Feline serum samples (n = 434) were classified as hypercalcemic, normocalcemic, or hypocalcemic based on both total calcium (tCa) and ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive diagnostic likelihood ratio (PDLR), and negative diagnostic likelihood ratio (NDLR) were calculated for prediction of hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia in all samples, in hypoalbuminemic cats, and in those with chronic renal failure (CRF) as compared with cats that had other conditions. Diagnostic discordance in prediction of iCa using tCa was 40%. Sensitivity of tCa in prediction of ionized hypercalcemia was low and specificity was high. The PDLR for prediction of ionized hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia was low in all cats, especially in those with CRF. Due to the high level of diagnostic discordance, tCa should not be used to predict iCa concentration. Concentration of iCa should be measured directly when accurate assessment of calcium status is needed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20885845/