Altered mental status and hematemesis in a child with hypercalcemia.

Abstract

Altered mental status in a child is a potentially life-threatening condition with a broad differential including vascular, toxin-mediated, infectious, metabolic, and traumatic causes. Hypercalcemia is a rare cause of altered mental status in children. We report a case of a 13-month-old boy with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia who presented to our emergency department with altered mental status and hematemesis. Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia is a rare cause of hypercalcemia that usually presents with asymptomatic hypercalcemia. This case illustrates the presentation of severe hypercalcemia and reviews the initial management and evaluation of hypercalcemia in children.

• Authors: Margaret Wolff, Aaron Chen
• Journal: Pediatric emergency care (Pediatr Emerg Care) Vol. 28 Issue 3 Pg. 286-7 (Mar 2012) ISSN: 1535-1815 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22391928 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Consciousness Disorders (etiology)
• Hematemesis (etiology)
• Humans
• Hypercalcemia (complications, congenital, diagnosis, therapy)
• Infant
• Male