Tetany is involuntary muscle contractions caused by an underlying medical condition--typically a mineral deficiency or imbalance--that directly and negatively impacts the nervous system. Here are the most common methods of diagnosing tetany.
Instructions
1. Review medical history for signs of excessive hyperventilation, which can cause tetany. Hyperventilation lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide (hypocapnia) in the blood. The body interprets the lowered concentration as a sign that blood vessels should be constricted and blood flow to the brain reduced. Hypocapnia also causes the blood to become more alkaline (alkalosis) with the subsequent high pH interfering with blood calcium levels.
2. Check for muscle spasms, numbness of fingertips or feet, vomiting, pain, nausea or cramping. Previous neck or thyroid surgery should also be considered as either surgery can cause damage to the brachial plexus (spinal nerve bundle located in the neck) or the small parathyroids behind the thyroid that regulate the body's calcium levels. Calcium is crucial to muscle control, and damage of the parathyroids can lead to low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) and increased blood phosphorous (hyperphosphatemia)--an imbalance which will negatively impact the nervous system and muscles resulting in tetany.
3. Test for calcium and vitamin D deficiencies and increased blood phosphorous. Clostridium tetani, the bacterium that causes tetanus, can also cause tetany as the bacteria causes a severely toxic infection of the central nervous system.
4. Contact the patient's relatives and friends to check for mood changes or erratic behavior as hypocalcemia can cause radical changes in personality and mood.
5. Examine the patient's nails and skin checking for ridged, brittle nails and dry or scaling skin--two additional signs of hypocalcemia.
6. Discuss testing using Trousseau's or Chvostek's signs of latent tetany. Trousseau's test emulates a carpopedal spasm (spasm at the wrists or joints of the hand) and is performed by placing a blood pressure cuff around the arm and inflating the cuff to above the patient's normal systolic for three minutes or until symptoms manifest--whichever happens first. As Trousseau's test can be extremely painful, Chvostek's test--tapping the facial nerve to see if tetany symptoms manifest--may be the preferred method.
7. Supplement with vitamin D, calcium and alter the patient's diet to improve absorption and exchange of these minerals. If symptoms improve, then it is likely that the patient's tetany issues were the result of a mineral deficiency or imbalance.
Tags: nervous system, blood calcium, blood phosphorous, calcium levels, cause tetany, increased blood