Medical Mnemonics: Causes of Hypercalcemia - CHIMPANZEES

Medical Mnemonics: Causes of Hypercalcemia

It’s Medical Mnemonics Monday! Hypercalcemia (Elevated calcium levels) is a commonly tested condition on any medical exam board including the internal medicine boards. Often, in mild hypercalcemia, there are no signs or symptoms on the condition. In more severe cases, you may see symptoms such as nausea / vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, and constipation. Causes of hypercalcemia can be remembered by the mnemonic “CHIMPANZEES”

• C – Calcium supplementation
• H – Hydrochlorothiazide
• I – Iatrogenic, immobilization
• M – Multiple myeloma, milk-alkali syndrome, medication (e.g Lithium)
• P – Parathyroid hyperplasia or adenoma
• A – Alcohol
• N – Neoplasm (e.g breast cancer, lung cancer)
• Z – Zollinger Ellison syndrome
• E – Excessive vitamin D
• E – Excessive vitamin A
• S – Sarcoidosis

Check out the list of the previous Medical Mnemonics here.