CALCIPHYLAXIS

Course overview

CALCIPHYLAXIS, ALSO KNOWN AS CALCIFIC UREMIC ARTERIOLOPATHY, IS A RARE BUT POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING CONDITION MOST OFTEN OBSERVED IN PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE, ALTHOUGH IT DOES OCCASIONALLY DEVELOP IN PATIENTS WITHOUT RENAL FAILURE. IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY CUTANEOUS ARTERIOLAR CALCIFICATION AND SUBSEQUENT TISSUE ISCHEMIA AND INFARCTION AND CAUSES PAINFUL SKIN LESIONS. CALCIPHYLAXIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANTIAL MORBIDITY DUE TO SEVERE PAIN, NON-HEALING WOUNDS, AND FREQUENT HOSPITALIZATIONS. IT IS A HIGHLY FATAL CONDITION WITH 1-YEAR MORTALITY RATES GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT, MOST FREQUENTLY DUE TO SEPSIS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CALCIPHYLAXIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.