Progress in Understanding the Calcium and Vitamin D Endocrinology Following Burn Injury in Children

This review covers the progress made by our group over the past two decades in understanding the effects of severe burn injuries on the endocrine system, especially in relation to calcium and vitamin D metabolism.We examine the phenomena of transient growth hormone deficiency and the dose-dependent effects of recombinant human growth hormone on bone and muscle mass. We move on to discuss the occurrence of post-burn secondary hypoparathyroidism caused by the up-regulation of the parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor, and finally, we discuss vitamin D status, the progressive nature of vitamin D deficiency post-burn, the causes of the progressive deficiency, and what must be done to prevent it.These conditions taken together, while not primarily responsible for post-burn bone loss, may impair the recovery of normal bone density and leave, especially younger populations of victims, vulnerable to a reduction in peak bone mass with subsequent elevated risk of developing osteoporosis as adults.

• Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
  This article reviews the endocrine changes that occur as a result of burn injury and provides a basis for understanding these changes in the context of all the changes wrought by burn injury. It also provides a means to study possible measures to prevent and treat these abnormal changes.

• Please cite this paper as:
  Klein GL. Progress in Understanding the Calcium and Vitamin D Endocrinology Following Burn Injury in Children. Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;10(1): 435-9. DOI: 10.5812/ijem.2685

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