Description of the medicine: Calcium chloride (Calcii chloridum)

CALCIUM CHLORIDE (Calcii chloridum).

Synonyms: Calcium chloride, Calcium chloratum crystallisatum.

Colorless crystals without a smell, bitter-salty taste. Easily soluble in water (4: 1) (with strong cooling of the solution). Very hygroscopic, spreads on the air. It melts at a temperature of +34 ° C in its crystallization water. Contains 27% of calcium. Solutions (pH 5, 5 - 7, 0) are sterilized at a temperature of + 100 ° C for 30 minutes.

Calcium plays an important role in the life of the body. Calcium ions are necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses, the reduction of skeletal and smooth muscles, the activity of the heart muscle, the formation of bone tissue, blood clotting, as well as for normal activity of other organs and systems (see Calcium ion antagonists, Calcitonin, Parathyroidin and other drugs of parathyroid Glands, Ergocalciferol, Oxidevite and other vitamins of group D, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt).

A reduced content of calcium in the blood plasma is observed with a number of pathological conditions. Pronounced hypocalcemia leads to the development of tetany.

Correction of hypocalcemia is performed with the help of calcium preparations, as well as hormonal preparations (see Calcitonin, Parathyroidin), ergocalciferol, etc.

Calcium chloride is used for various pathological conditions: a) with insufficient parathyroid function accompanied by tetany or spasmophilia (see also Parathyroidin, Ergocalciferol); B) with increased release of calcium from the body, which can occur with prolonged immobilization of patients; C) for allergic diseases (serum sickness, urticaria, angioedema, hay fever, etc.) and allergic complications associated with taking medications; The mechanism of antiallergic action is unclear, it should be noted, however, that intravenous administration of calcium salts causes excitation of the sympathetic nervous system and increased adrenal secretion by the adrenals; D) as a means of reducing vascular permeability, with hemorrhagic vasculitis, phenomena of radiation sickness, inflammatory and exudative processes (pneumonia, pleurisy, adnexitis, endometritis, etc.); E) with skin diseases (itching, eczema, psoriasis, etc.); F) with parenchymal hepatitis, toxic liver damage, nephritis, eclampsia, hyperkalemic form of paroxysmal myoplegia.

They are also used as a hemostatic agent for pulmonary, gastrointestinal, nasal, uterine bleeding; In surgical practice is sometimes administered before surgery to increase blood coagulability. However, there is no sufficiently reliable data on the haemostatic effect of calcium salts introduced into the body from outside; Calcium ions are necessary for blood clotting, but the amount of calcium normally contained in the blood plasma exceeds the amount needed to convert prothrombin to thrombin.