OBJECTIVE: To characterise the plasma cortisol profile and adreno-cortial responsiveness (short Synacthen test) of patients in septic shock. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment using case-notes and ICU charts. SETTING: University teaching hospital ICU. PATIENTS: 68 septic shock patients with plasma cortisol and/or short Synacthen test measured at ICU-admission or onset of shock post ICU-admission. Patients were identified from a total population of 155 patients who had PCL and/or SST measured over a 4.5 year period. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients with septic shock had a plasma cortisol ranging from 210-8900 nmol/l and mortality of 56%. There were 22 (32%) below (low) and 46 (68%) above (high) a 'critical' plasma cortisol of 500 nmol/l. Using stepwise logistic regression, mortality was adequately predicted by and increased with, increasing plasma cortisol and onset of shock remote from ICU-admission. Short Synacthen tests were available in 33 patients: 11 responders (cortisol increment > 200 nmol/l above baseline 30 min after 0.25 mg intravenous Synacthen) and 22 hypo-responders. Mortality in patients was adequately predicted by and increased with a decrease in cortisol increment post-Synacthen. Thirteen patients (plasma cortisol 606 +/- [SD] 297 nmol/l) had complete haemodynamic profiles before inotropic therapy; no relationship was demonstrated between plasma cortisol and circulatory variables. Follow-up revealed no cases of Addison's disease. CONCLUSIONS: In septic shock, 'hypocortisolaemia' is not uncommon and does not predict a high mortality; adrenocortical hypo-responsiveness may be associated with poor outcome.
OBJECTIVE: To characterise the plasma cortisol profile and adreno-cortial responsiveness (short Synacthen test) of patients in septic shock. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment using case-notes and ICU charts. SETTING: University teaching hospital ICU. PATIENTS: 68 septic shockpatients with plasma cortisol and/or short Synacthen test measured at ICU-admission or onset of shock post ICU-admission. Patients were identified from a total population of 155 patients who had PCL and/or SST measured over a 4.5 year period. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:Patients with septic shock had a plasma cortisol ranging from 210-8900 nmol/l and mortality of 56%. There were 22 (32%) below (low) and 46 (68%) above (high) a 'critical' plasma cortisol of 500 nmol/l. Using stepwise logistic regression, mortality was adequately predicted by and increased with, increasing plasma cortisol and onset of shock remote from ICU-admission. Short Synacthen tests were available in 33 patients: 11 responders (cortisol increment > 200 nmol/l above baseline 30 min after 0.25 mg intravenous Synacthen) and 22 hypo-responders. Mortality in patients was adequately predicted by and increased with a decrease in cortisol increment post-Synacthen. Thirteen patients (plasma cortisol 606 +/- [SD] 297 nmol/l) had complete haemodynamic profiles before inotropic therapy; no relationship was demonstrated between plasma cortisol and circulatory variables. Follow-up revealed no cases of Addison's disease. CONCLUSIONS: In septic shock, 'hypocortisolaemia' is not uncommon and does not predict a high mortality; adrenocortical hypo-responsiveness may be associated with poor outcome.
Authors: Yaseen M Arabi; Abdulrahman Aljumah; Ousama Dabbagh; Hani M Tamim; Asgar H Rishu; Abdulmajeed Al-Abdulkareem; Bandar Al Knawy; Ali H Hajeer; Waleed Tamimi; Antoine Cherfan Journal: CMAJ Date: 2010-11-08 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Joe Brierley; Joseph A Carcillo; Karen Choong; Tim Cornell; Allan Decaen; Andreas Deymann; Allan Doctor; Alan Davis; John Duff; Marc-Andre Dugas; Alan Duncan; Barry Evans; Jonathan Feldman; Kathryn Felmet; Gene Fisher; Lorry Frankel; Howard Jeffries; Bruce Greenwald; Juan Gutierrez; Mark Hall; Yong Y Han; James Hanson; Jan Hazelzet; Lynn Hernan; Jane Kiff; Niranjan Kissoon; Alexander Kon; Jose Irazuzta; Jose Irazusta; John Lin; Angie Lorts; Michelle Mariscalco; Renuka Mehta; Simon Nadel; Trung Nguyen; Carol Nicholson; Mark Peters; Regina Okhuysen-Cawley; Tom Poulton; Monica Relves; Agustin Rodriguez; Ranna Rozenfeld; Eduardo Schnitzler; Tom Shanley; Saraswati Kache; Sara Skache; Peter Skippen; Adalberto Torres; Bettina von Dessauer; Jacki Weingarten; Timothy Yeh; Arno Zaritsky; Bonnie Stojadinovic; Jerry Zimmerman; Aaron Zuckerberg Journal: Crit Care Med Date: 2009-02 Impact factor: 7.598
Authors: Muzaffar Maqbool; Zafar Amin Shah; Fayaz Ahmad Wani; Abdul Wahid; Shaheena Parveen; Arjumand Nazir Journal: Indian J Crit Care Med Date: 2009 Apr-Jun