Calcium gluconate
Calcium gluconate (Kalcinate)
Calcium gluconate
( KAL-see-um GLUE-koh-nayt) Kalcinate (Rx, injection; OTC, tablets)

Classification: Calcium salt

See Also: See also Calcium Salts .

Uses: Mild hypocalcemia due to neonatal tetany, tetany due to parathyroid deficiency or vitamin D deficiency, and alkalosis. Prophylaxis of hypocalcemia during exchange transfusions. Intestinal malabsorption. Adjunct to treat insect bites or stings to relieve muscle cramping. Depression due to magnesium overdosage. Acute symptoms of lead colic. Rickets, osteomalacia. Reverse symptoms of verapamil overdosage. Decrease capillary permeability in allergic conditions, nonthrombocytopenic purpura, and exudative dermatoses (e.g., dermatitis herpetiformis). Pruritus due to certain drugs. Hyperkalemia to antagonize cardiac toxicity (as long as client is not receiving digitalis).

Contraindications: IM, intramyocardial, or SC use due to severe tissue necrosis, sloughing, and abscess formation.

How Supplied: Chew tablet: 650 mg; Injection: 100 mg /mL; Tablet: 486 mg, 500 mg, 650 mg, 975 mg

Dosage
?Chewable Tablets, Tablets Treatment of hypocalcemia.
Adults: 8.8-16.5 g/day in divided doses; pediatric: 0.5-0.72 g/kg/day in divided doses.
Nutritional supplement.
Adults: 8.8-16.5 g/day in divided doses.
?IV Only Treatment of hypocalcemia.
Adults: 2.3-9.3 mEq (5-20 mL of the 10% solution) as needed (range: 4.65-70 mEq/day). Children: 2.3 mEq/kg/day (or 56 mEq/m ²/day) given well diluted and slowly in divided doses. Infants: No more than 0.93 mEq (2 mL of the 10% solution).
Emergency elevation of serum calcium.
Adults: 7-14 mEq (15-30.1 mL). Children: 1-7 mEq (2.2-15 mL). Infants: Less than 1 mEq (2.2 mL). Depending on client response, the dose may be repeated q 1-3 days.
Hypocalcemic tetany.
Children: 0.5-0.7 mEq/kg (1.1-1.5 mL/kg) t.i.d.-q.i.d. until tetany is controlled. Infants: 2.4 mEq/kg/day (5.2 mL/kg/day) in divided doses.
Hyperkalemia with cardiac toxicity.
2.25-14 mEq (4.8-30.1 mL) while monitoring the ECG. If needed, the dose can be repeated after 1-2 min.
Magnesium intoxication.
Initial: 4.5-9 mEq (9.7-19.4 mL). Subsequent dosage based on client response.
Exchange transfusion.
Adults: 1.35 mEq (2.9 mL) concurrent with each 100 mL citrated blood. Neonates: 0.45 mEq (1 mL)/100 mL citrated blood.
?IM Hypocalcemic tetany.
Adults: 4.5-16 mEq (9.7-34.4 mL) until a therapeutic response is noted.
Magnesium intoxication.
If IV administration is not possible: 2-5 mEq (4.3-10.8 mL) in divided doses as needed.
NOTE: The preparation contains 9% calcium and 90 mg calcium/g (4.5 mEq/g).