The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of adrenal emergencies.
Emergency medicine physicians should be able to identify and treat patients whose clinical presentations, including key historical, physical examination, and laboratory findings are consistent with diagnoses of primary, secondary, and tertiary adrenal insufficiency, adrenal crisis, and pheochromocytoma. Failure to make a timely diagnosis leads to increased morbidity and mortality. As great mimickers, adrenal emergencies often present with a constellation of nonspecific signs and symptoms that can lead even the most diligent emergency physician astray. The emergency physician must include adrenal emergencies in the differential diagnosis when encountering such clinical pictures.
Section of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Center, Ben Taub General Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, 1504 Taub Loop, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: vtuccimd@gmail.com.
Veronica
V
Tucci
Section of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Center, Ben Taub General Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, 1504 Taub Loop, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Telematé
T
Sokari
D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans
Adrenal crisis; Adrenal emergencies; Pheochromocytomas; Primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease); Secondary adrenal insufficiency; Tertiary adrenal insufficiency