Use of pamidronate in the management of acute cancer-related hypercalcemia in children

✍ Scribed by Young, Guy; Shende, Ashok

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 41 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0098-1532
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-911x(199802)30:2<117::aid-mpo9>3.0.co;2-l

✦ Synopsis

Purpose:

To determine whether pamidronate is a safe and effective agent for the treatment of severe hypercalcemia of malignancy in children.

Materials and methods:

A retrospective review of the charts of five children treated with pamidronate 1-2 mg/kg for severe, refractory hypercalcemia of malignancy. all children failed conventional therapy. statistical analysis was done utilizing the two-tailed student's t-test.

Results:

All five children had complete resolution of their hypercalcemia in a predictable pattern within 24-48 hours. the average decrease in serum calcium was 1.63 mmol/l (6.54 mg/dl). (p < .01) the adverse effects were mild and transient, and consisted of hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and hypomagnesemia.

Conclusions:

Pamidronate at a dose of 1 mg/kg is a safe and effective treatment for severe, refractory hypercalcemia of malignancy in children.