Corticosteroid replacement in critically ill patients.

This review addresses the use of corticosteroid replacement in critically ill patients. Low-dose corticosteroid replacement for critically ill patients with septic shock has been shown to reduce the duration of vasopressor-dependent shock, to shorten ICU length of stay, and, in recent trials, to reduce mortality. Numerous questions remain to be fully answered about patient selection, corticotropin-stimulation testing methods, and interpretation of results.