Objective: To refine the value of baseline and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)-
stimulated cortisol levels in relation to mortality from severe sepsis or septic shock. Design …

Rationale: Diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in critically ill patients has relied on random or
cosyntropin-stimulated cortisol levels, and has not been corroborated by a more accurate …

Objective: To evaluate the concept of relative adrenal insufficiency necessitating
corticosteroid therapy in septic shock. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Medical-surgical …

Objective To investigate, in patients with severe septic shock, the adrenocortical function
assessed by daily plasma cortisol determinations during the first 72 h and by the short …

Objective: To compare a low-dose (1 μg) corticotropin stimulation test with the more
standard (250 μg) test for the diagnosis of relative adrenal insufficiency. Design: Diagnostic …

Objective To determine whether a baseline (random) cortisol concentration< 25 μg/dL in
patients with septic shock was a better discriminator of adrenal insufficiency than the …

Purpose For patients suffering from prolonged critical illness, it is unknown whether and
when the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis alterations recover, and to what extent …

BACKGROUND: Severe sepsis activates the hypothalamopituitary axis, increasing cortisol
production. In some studies, hydrocortisone substitution based on an adrenocorticotropic …

Summary objective Serum cortisol levels rise in response to the stress of critical illness but
the optimal range of serum cortisol in such settings is not clearly defined. The objectives of …

IMPLICATIONS: In this prospective study two consecutive adrenocorticotropic hormone
(ACTH) stimulation tests were performed in 60 critically ill patients. In a subgroup of septic …