Calcium gluconate is a salt of calcium. The gluconic acid moiety is a modified sugar. Calcium gluconate is primarily administered intravenously to treat hypocalcemia. Although it is also sold as oral supplements, calcium gluconate contains much less calcium than other calcium salt supplements. An article on the Colorado State University website notes that calcium carbonate is 40 percent calcium, calcium citrate is 21 percent calcium and calcium gluconate is only 9 percent calcium. Calcium is involved in many bodily functions including kidney, heart and nerve cell function and blood coagulation. Ninety-nine percent of calcium is stored in bone and maintaining adequate calcium levels in the body is essential to prevent bone disorders.
Hypocalcemia
Acute low blood calcium levels can cause symptoms of tingling in the hands and feet, hyper reflexes and involuntary muscle contractions. In acute circumstances, such as tetany, overdosage of magnesium sulfate, or black widow spider bites calcium levels are restored by intravenous injection of calcium gluconate. People with chronic low levels of calcium rarely display symptoms and the condition is normally detected by regular blood tests.
Bone Loss
Oral supplementation with calcium gluconate is used to prevent bone loss; however it is impractical because of its much lower calcium dose than other less expensive supplements.
Cancer
The National Cancer Institute reports that calcium gluconate oral supplementation may be preventative against colon and some other cancers. A review in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" concludes that calcium in combination with vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. Vitamin D is required for gastrointestinal absorption of calcium. Again, calcium gluconate is not the best source for calcium. Some drugs used to treat cancer cause hypocalcemia leading to neurotoxicity. A clinical study in "Anticancer Drugs" reported that intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate reversed oxaliplatin neurotoxicity in patients treated for colorectal cancer.
Hydrofluoric Acid Poisoning
Hydrofluoric acid is a common chemical in laboratories and is also used in the semiconductor industry. Hydrofluoric acid is corrosive and is toxic to cells because it decreases magnesium and calcium levels. "The Israel Medical Association Journal" notes that calcium gluconate is the antidote for hydrofluoric acid poisoning and should be administered immediately. Calcium gluconate topical ointments are used to neutralize hydrofluoric acid and treat dermal burns caused by the chemical.
Side Effects
Side effects of intravenous calcium gluconate administration include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, decreased blood pressure and decreased heart rate. Serious side effects, such as a heart attack may occur when the administration is performed too rapidly.
References
- "The Israel Medical Association Journal;" Hydrogen Fluoride -- The Protoplasmic Poison; Igor Makarovsky; May 2008
- "Anticancer Drugs"; Successful Desensitization to Oxaliplatin with Incorporation of Calcium Gluconate and Magnesium Sulfate; S.H. Wrzesinski et al.; July 2007
- National Cancer Institute: Calcium Gluconate
- "World Journal of Gastroenterology"; New Insights into Calcium, Dairy and Colon Cancer; Peter Holt; July 2008
- Colorado State University: Osteoporosis
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