CALCIUM INFORMATION SHEET FOR PEDIATRICS

Calcium (all doses listed as elemental calcium, except Ca Chloride):

***Ca Chloride Dose Order as Salt (usual dose = 10 mg/kg/dose)

Elemental Doses: IV PO

Neonate 20 to 80 mg/kg/day ÷ QID 20 to 80 mg/kg/day ÷ QID

(usual dose = 10 mg/kg/dose)

Child 20 to 50 mg/kg/day ÷ QID 45 to 65 mg/kg/day ÷ QID

(usual dose = 15 mg/kg/dose)

Adolescent 400 to 1,500 mg/day ÷ QID 1000 to 2000 mg/day ÷ QID

(usual dose = 100 mg / dose)

Salt PO/IV Amount of Amount of Ratio Elemental Ca to Advantages

Elemental Ca Salt Salt
Ca PO Tablet = 500 1250 mg Ca 500 mg of elemental/ Salt of choice for
Carbonate only mg (Os-cal) carbonate 1250 mg Ca carbonate CRF (helps ↓ Phos
Tablet = 260 650 mg Ca 260 mg elemental/ 650 and may help with
mg carbonate mg Ca carbonate metabolic acidosis)
Suspension = 250 mg/ml 100 mg of elemental/
100 mg/ml Ca carbonate 250 mg Ca carbonate
Ca IV 100 mg/ml Irritating to veins,
Chloride Ca chloride acidifying properties
Ca PO Syrup = 23 360 mg/ml 23 mg elemental/ 360 Better absorption
Glubionate only mg/ml Ca glubionate mg Ca glubionate than Carbonate
Ca IV Injection = 9.3 100 mg/ml 9.3mg of elemental/ Less irritating than
Gluconate mg/ml Ca gluconate 100 mg Ca gluconate Chloride
PO Tablet = 45 mg 500 mg Ca 45 mg of elemental/
gluconate 500 mg of Ca gluconate

Orders should be written as follows (except for calcium chloride):

IV: Ca++ _____mg as calcium (salt) = X ml in D5W or NSS Xml q _______. Infuse over X
hour.

Example: 5 kg patient: Ca++ 75 mg as Ca gluconate = 8 ml in 100ml D5W IV over 2 hr X

1 dose.
75 mg elemental Ca = 8 ml
9.3mg elemental Ca/ml

PO: Ca++_____ mg as calcium (salt) = X ml q _______.

Example: 30 kg patient: Ca++ 375 mg as Ca carbonate = 3.75 ml PO QID.

50 mg/kg/day x 30kg = 1500 mg elemental Ca/day/4 (to give it QID) = 375 mg/dose QID
375 mg elemental Ca++/ 100 mg elemental Ca/ml carbonate suspension = 3.75 ml/dose