Hypocalcemia following Trauma: The Lethal Diamond

3 conditions—hypothermia, coagulopathy, and acidosis— aka the lethal triad, serve as the KEY physiologic insults that increase the risk for death among trauma patients. Why is calcium so important?! Calcium is the most abundant cation and the fifth most common inorganic element in the human body. Calcium is essential for the maintenance of the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems, and for cell membrane and capillary permeability.  Calcium-dependent pathways are key in vasomotor tone, platelet function, intrinsic and extrinsic pathway-mediated coagulation, and therefore play a crucial role in hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation