title: The adrenocorticotropic hormone-induced cortisol response in acute pancreatitis.
abstract: The evidence that severe acute pancreatitis can result in critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency following impaired adrenal secretion is accumulating. The study by Peng and coworkers in Critical Care certainly contributes to that idea, even though the question whether relative adrenal insufficiency should prompt for treatment by substitution doses of corticosteroids remains unresolved. The study is discussed in terms of the risk factors, circumstances and significance of impaired corticosteroid secretion by adrenals in severe acute pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, VUmc, 1082 AR Amsterdam, The Netherlands. johan.groeneveld@vumc.nl
authors.forename: A B Johan
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Groeneveld
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000172:deficiency*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone