A Parathyroid Hormone–Guided Calcium and Calcitriol Supplementation Protocol Reduces Hypocalcemia-Related Readmissions Following Total Thyroidectomy

To determine the effect of a 4-hour postoperative serum parathyroid hormone (PTH)–guided calcium (Ca) and calcitriol supplementation protocol on the incidence of hypocalcemia and hospital readmissions in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy. This was a single-institution, retrospective chart review of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy; 148 and 389 of the patients underwent surgery prior to and after the protocol implementation, respectively. The risk of hypocalcemia was stratified as low (PTH level of >30 pg/mL), medium (15-30 pg/mL), and high (