A patient complains of tingling in his fingers. He has positive Trousseau's and Chvostek's signs. He says that he feels depressed. Choose the most likely serum calcium (Ca ) value for this patient:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The patient's symptoms of tingling in the fingers, positive Trousseau's and Chvostek's signs, and feeling depressed are suggestive of hypocalcemia, which is commonly associated with low serum calcium levels. In this case, the most likely serum calcium value would be below the normal range, which is around 8.5-10.5 mg/dl. Among the given choices, an extremely low calcium value of 5mg/dl (Choice D) would be more consistent with severe hypocalcemia presenting with tetany and other neuromuscular symptoms rather than depression and mild symptoms. On the other hand, a high calcium level of 11mg/dl (Choice A) would indicate hypercalcemia, which can lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms like depression, as seen in this patient's presentation. Therefore, Choice A (11mg/dl) is the most likely serum calcium value for