ICU · Endocrine & metabolic emergencies

Adrenal Crisis & Corticosteroid Replacement

Also known as Adrenal crisis · Addisonian crisis · Adrenal insufficiency · HPA suppression · Stress-dose steroids · Corticosteroid withdrawal · Waterhouse-Friderichsen

The adrenal crisis — the acute the life-threatening the glucocorticoid the deficiency. The causes (the primary — the Addison's, the adrenal the haemorrhage; the secondary — the pituitary; the iatrogenic — the abrupt the withdrawal of chronic exogenous steroids [the HPA the suppression] — commonest ICU cause). The refractory the hypotension, the abdominal the pain, the hyponatraemia, the hyperkalaemia, the hypoglycaemia. The hydrocortisone the IV the immediately (the before the tests), the fluid, the treat the trigger. The stress-dose the steroids for the chronic the users (the illness / the surgery).

Checked against its sources on 13 Oct 2026