• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Course Login

WoundEducators.com | Online Wound Care Certification Courses

Your online source for wound care certification.

  • Courses
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Risk-Free Guarantee
    • Accredited Wound Care Course Info
    • Student Testimonials
    • Our Mission to Help
  • Why Certify?
    • What’s Included
    • How Hard is Wound Care Certification?
    • Wound Care Certification Cost
    • Wound Care Certification for Nurses
    • Getting Started: Wound Care Certification
  • Resources
    • Sign up for Our Newsletter
    • Search Wound Care Jobs
    • Post a Wound Care Job
    • Submit Your Resume
    • I Completed My Wound Care Course – Now What?
    • Wound Care CE Hours Online
    • Wound Care Recertification Process
  • Certifications
    • Compare Wound Care Certification Options
    • ABWM® Wound Care Certifications
      • The CWCA® Certification
      • The CWS® Certification
      • The CWSP® Wound Care Certification
    • The WCC® Certification
    • The AWCC® Wound Care Certification
    • The CWCN® Certification
  • Blog
  • FAQ’s
  • Contact

Calciphylaxis – Diagnosis and Management

March 7, 2012 1 Comment

12
SHARES
ShareTweetGoogle +Linkedin
PinterestRedditTumblrStumbleuponDiggDelicious

calciphylaxis 4

As we have seen in previous weeks, calciphylaxis is a severe and complex syndrome involving vascular calcification, thrombosis, and skin necrosis. Calciphylaxis occurs almost exclusively in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), and has a dismal mortality rate of around 80 percent (with a 1-year mortality greater than 50 percent).(1)

 

No Evidence-Based Medical Treatments

With such a discouraging prognosis, it is clear that treatment options for calciphylaxis still have some way to go. In fact, there are no evidence-based medical treatments available, with medical strategies currently based purely on case reports or personal experience.(2) As with many poorly-understood conditions, the key to the management of calciphylaxis therefore lies in strategies to prevent the condition from developing in the first place. This involves interventions such as controlling blood sugar levels in a diabetic patient(2) and normalizing metabolic parameters as far as possible using dialysis techniques and medications.(3)

Diagnosis of Calciphylaxis

If calciphylaxis is suspected, the diagnosis should be confirmed histologically in order to differentiate the condition from other similar vasculopathies which may be presented by the same patient types.(3) Once diagnosis has been confirmed, effective wound care becomes the cornerstone of management, and should be based around periodic debridement of necrotic tissue and proven wound management strategies.(1)

Parathyroidectomy in the treatment of calciphylaxis has been reported to benefit some patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, but its use remains controversial.(1) Other potential medical options include use of the bisphosphonates, sodium thiosulfate therapy and the calcimimetic, cinacalcet, although no randomized evidence supports the use of any of these approaches.(1) One proposed mechanism of action of sodium thiosulfate therapy in calciphylaxis is shown below.

Systemic corticosteroids should be avoided in calciphylaxis as they may exacerbate arteriolar calcification.(1)  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been reported to be beneficial in the treatment of cutaneous ulcers, although again the evidence is anecdotal.(1) Pain relief should be offered through opioid-based preparations, as byproducts of morphine can cause hypotension, reducing blood flow in the arterioles and increasing risk of thrombosis.(1) Systemic antibiotics may used when indicated.(1)

The lack of evidence for the benefit of any treatment for calciphylaxis is disappointing, and contributes to the overall dismal prognosis for this condition. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the individual healthcare professional to implement management strategies based on previous experience and that of professional colleagues. The case-report evidence which is available may be studied as part of an ongoing professional development program, such as wound care certification.

Learn More With Our Wound Care Education Options

Interested in learning more about wound care and certification? Browse through our wound care certification courses for information on our comprehensive range of education options to suit healthcare professionals across the full spectrum of qualifications and experience.

References

  1. Bhambri S, Bhambri A, Del Rosso JA. Calciphylaxis: A review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2008; 1: 38-41
  2. Brandenburg VM, Cozzolino M, Ketteler M. Calciphylaxis: a still unmet challenge. J Nephrol. 2011;24(2):142-8.
  3. Sowers KM, Hayden MR. Calcific uremic arteriolopathy: pathophysiology, reactive oxygen species and therapeutic approaches. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2010;3(2):109-21.

Potential mechanisms of sodium thiosulfate in calciphylaxis, allowing for its antioxidant, vasodilator and chelation properties3

calciphylaxis mechanism

Reproduced from Sowers KM, Hayden MR. Calcific uremic arteriolopathy: pathophysiology, reactive oxygen species and therapeutic approaches. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2010;3(2):109-21.

Tags: Calciphylaxis Categories: Miscellaneous Wounds

About the Author

Laurie Swezey's avatar

Laurie Swezey, founder and president of WoundEducators.com, has been a Registered Nurse for more than a quarter century, with most of those years dedicated to wound treatment. Ms. Swezey is a Certified Wound Care Nurse and a Certified Wound Specialist.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    April 28, 2011 at 6:00 pm

    This is a venous ulcer. It is located in the gaiter area,is irregular shaped, shallow with slough tissue large. It looks like it is swollen. Would remove slough maintain moisture control bioburden and use compression.

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Free Preview!

Sign up for our newsletter and enjoy a Free Preview of our Wound Care Certification Course!

Support Our “Where There’s a Wound, There’s a Way!™” Foundation

fundraiser logo

Join our “Where There’s a Wound, There’s a Way!™” fundraising campaign  Learn more

Payment Information

All major credit cards & PayPal accepted. All transactions are performed via a SSL secure server to ensure your privacy.

payments accepted visa mastercard amex discover paypal

Copyright © 2009-2021 WoundEducators.com
Wound Care Certification Courses | Risk Free Guarantee | Terms and Policies

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT