Ms. Reczkiewicz has her thyroid gland removed to treat hyperthyroidism. Her condition is stable after surgery, but one day later she develops symptoms of severe hypocalcemia. What has happened? How would you correct this problem?

Video transcript

Hey, everyone. Let's take a look at this question together in uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. One of the treatment options is a total thyroidectomy. How would this affect calcium homeostasis? Is it answer choice. A hypercalcemia. Answer choice B hypocalcemia, answer choice C hyperphosphatemia or answer choice. D both answer choices A and C. Let's work this problem out together to try to figure out which of the following answer choices best explains the effect of calcium homeostasis as a result of a total thyroidectomy. So, in order to solve this question, we must first recall what a total thyroidectomy is, which we know is the removal of the thyroid gland entirely. And we have to identify how that removal of the thyroid gland would affect calcium homeostasis, which we know that a common complication following a total thyroidectomy is hypocalcemia, which we can identify hypocalcemia as abnormally low blood calcium levels. And as a result of that hypocalcemia from the total thyroidectomy. Calcium homeostasis is impaired in response to to thyroid removal. Since that thyroid removal would result in a lack of thyroid hormones to regulate osteoclast activity, which we know that the osteoclasts are. These specialized cells involved in the absorption of calcium into the bones, which results in that abnormally low blood calcium level, which means that answer choice. B hypocalcemia is the correct answer. And all other answer choices are incorrect. I hope you found this video to be helpful. Thank you and goodbye.