Before administering zoledronic acid for hypercalcemia, which laboratory value must be evaluated?

Before administering zoledronic acid, it is essential to evaluate the patient's creatinine level. Zoledronic acid is a bisphosphonate used to treat hypercalcemia, particularly in malignancy, but it is also associated with renal effects.

The reason creatinine is crucial is that zoledronic acid is primarily excreted by the kidneys. Elevated levels of creatinine can indicate impaired renal function, which increases the risk of acute kidney injury when administering the medication. Therefore, assessing renal function through creatinine levels helps ensure the patient's safety and determine if the drug can be given without putting them at increased risk.

Considering the other laboratory values, while sodium, potassium, and uric acid are also important indicators of a patient’s overall health and can affect various bodily functions, they do not directly correlate with the safe administration of zoledronic acid. Sodium and potassium are more related to electrolyte balance, and uric acid is associated with conditions like gout or tumor lysis syndrome, but they do not reflect renal function in the context of zoledronic acid therapy. Thus, monitoring creatinine is vital before treatment initiation.