The chemistry results show Ca2+ 3.05 mmol/L, TP 92 g/L, and ALB 58 g/L in a hydrated patient with no history of hyperparathyroidism. What is the most likely cause?

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Multiple Choice

The chemistry results show Ca2+ 3.05 mmol/L, TP 92 g/L, and ALB 58 g/L in a hydrated patient with no history of hyperparathyroidism. What is the most likely cause?

Prolonged tourniquet use during blood collection can cause hemoconcentration, concentrating the blood and raising measured levels of solutes like calcium and proteins. Here, the elevated calcium together with high total protein and high albumin fits a sampling artifact rather than true physiology: a hydrated patient with no hyperparathyroidism would not normally show such a pattern. With hemoconcentration, total calcium and albumin rise because the plasma volume is reduced in the drawn sample, while the ionized calcium fraction may not change as dramatically. If the tourniquet is released promptly and the sample repeated, these values would likely normalize.

Prolonged tourniquet use during blood collection can cause hemoconcentration, concentrating the blood and raising measured levels of solutes like calcium and proteins. Here, the elevated calcium together with high total protein and high albumin fits a sampling artifact rather than true physiology: a hydrated patient with no hyperparathyroidism would not normally show such a pattern. With hemoconcentration, total calcium and albumin rise because the plasma volume is reduced in the drawn sample, while the ionized calcium fraction may not change as dramatically. If the tourniquet is released promptly and the sample repeated, these values would likely normalize.

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