This calcium correction calculator allows you to calculate the adjusted calcium level reflected from your serum calcium and albumin levels in the measurement units you want. You can discover more on this subject and some information on calcium intake below the form.
How does the calcium correction calculator work?
This is a health calculator that helps you find your adjusted calcium level according to the total calcium and serum albumin levels from your medical record. You can also choose whether you want the calcium in mg/dL or mmol/L and the albumin in g/dL or g/L for your convenience. Once you press calculate, the calcium correction calculator will make the necessary transformations and put your data in the following formula to offer you the result.
Adjusted calcium formula = serum calcium [mg/dL] + 0.8 * (normal albumin - serum albumin [g/dL])
*where the normal albumin level is default at 4 g/dL therefore the short formula is:
Corrected calcium = serum calcium + 0.8 * (4 - serum albumin)
Normal calcium levels are between 8.5 and 10.5 mg/dL, equivalent to 2.1-2.6 mmol/L.
Total calcium in the body varies with the level of serum albumin which is the protein that binds calcium. Adjusted or corrected calcium relates to the ionized calcium rather than the total, the ionized particles being the one with the biological effect and the ones not varying with the albumin levels. Therefore the corrected value is applied whenever albumin is not in the normal ranges, allowing an estimate of calcium as if the albumin value were normal.
This value is useful to determine whenever it is a suspicion of calcium metabolism disorder and it is to be noted that in cases of hypoalbuminemia (low albumin) the corrected calcium is higher than the total calcium.
Daily calcium intake
This is a value that depends according to age and other lifestyle requirements. In the table below you can find the most common recommendations:
| Infants | 260mg |
| Toddlers | 800mg |
| Children | 1200mg |
| Teenagers | 1300mg |
| Adults | 1000mg |
| Pregnant women | 1100mg |
| Adults over 50 | 1100mg |
| Adults over 70 | 1200mg |
Hypercalcaemia
It is important that optimal levels of calcium to be maintained in the body. Whenever this doesn’t happen hypo or hypercalcaemia might occur at different stages.
| Hypercalcaemia | Total serum calcium levels mg/dL |
| Mild | 10.5- 11.9 |
| Moderate | 12- 13.9 |
| Severe | 14- 16 |
It is caused by either a hormonal imbalance and secondary effects or primary hyperparathyroidism (mostly in potmenopausal women) or by endocrine, electrolyte imbalances in malignancy. Here are some of the symptoms of the latest according to the system involved:
| Central nervous system | Renal |
|
Confusion Fatigue Weakness Lethargy Coma |
Polyuria Dehydration Renal stones Renal failure |
| Digestive system | Circulatory |
|
Nausea Abdominal pain Constipation Gastric ulcer Dyspepsia |
Arrhythmia Syncope QT interval |
References
1) Parent X, Spielmann C, Hanser AM. (2009) Corrected calcium: calcium status underestimation in non-hypoalbuminemic patients and in hypercalcemic patients Ann Biol Clin (Paris); 67(4):411-8.
2) Hall J. (2015) Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 13th ed. Elsevier Health Sciences
18 Mar, 2015