Fatal case of commercial moisture absorber ingestion

The results of the laboratory studies were as follows: serum total calcium 20.7mg/dL (8.2-10.8mg/dL), ionised calcium 3.82mmol/L (1.13-1.32mmol/L), blood urea nitrogen 18.9mg/dL (7.8-22.0mg/dL), creatinine 0.78mg/dL (0.7-1.2mg/dL), albumin 4.2g/dL (3.1-5.2g/dL), phosphorus 5.3mg/dL (2.5-5.5mg/dL), creatine kinase 94 IU/L (38-174 IU/L), sodium 139mmol/L, potassium 4.0mmol/L and chloride 107mmol/L. The second arterial blood gas analysis was done 1hour and 40min after the patient's arrival. pH of 7.25, PaCO243mm Hg, PaO2123mm Hg and bicarbonate 18.9mmol/L were measured. Hypercalcaemia has many causes; more than 90% of cases result from primary hyperthyroidism or malignancy. 1 Other causes of hypercalcaemia include chronic lithium therapy, thiazide diuretics, pheochromocytoma, adrenal insufficiency, theophylline toxicity and vitamin D poisoning, 2 and there was a fatal case of hypercalcaemia due to calcium channel blocker ingestion.