Context Adrenal crisis (AC) causes morbidity and mortality in patients with Addison disease [primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI)]. Patient-initiated stress dosing (oral or parenteral hydrocortisone) is recommended to avert ACs. Although these should be effective, the continued incidence of ACs remains largely unexplained. Methods Audit of all attendances between 2000 and 2017 of adult patients with treated PAI to one large regional referral center in New South Wales, Australia. Measurements were those taken on arrival at hospital. Results There were 252 attendances by 56 patients with treated PAI during the study period. Women comprised 60.7% (n = 34) of the patients. The mean age of attendees was 53.7 (19.6) years. Nearly half (45.2%, n = 114) of the patients had an infection. There were 61 (24.2%) ACs diagnosed by the treating clinician. Only 17.9% (n = 45) of the hospital presentations followed any form of stress dosing. IM hydrocortisone was used prior to presentation 7 (2.8%) attendances only. Among patients with a clinician-diagnosed AC, only 32.8% (n = 20) had used stress dosing before presentation. Vomiting was reported by 47.6% (n = 120) of the patients but only 33 (27.5%) of these attempted stress dosing and 5 patients with vomiting used IM hydrocortisone. The number of prior presentations was an independent predictor of use of stress doses [1.05 (1.01, 1.09)]. Conclusion Dose-escalation strategies are not used universally or correctly by unwell patients with PAI; many patients do not use IM or subcutaneous hydrocortisone injections. Previous hospital treatment increases the likelihood of stress dosing, and hospital attendance offers the opportunity for reinforcement of prevention strategies.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) is a rare disorder in childhood, which comprises approximately 15%-40% of the total paediatric population with adrenal insufficiency (AI) and is a cause of considerable morbidity and occasional mortality. [1][2][3][4] Aetiologies include congenital malformations, such as septo-optic dysplasia and pituitary aplasia/hypoplasia; cerebral tumours and their treatment; cranial irradiation and trauma. 3,4 Glucocorticoid-induced AI resulting from therapeutic glucocorticoid exposure for treatment of a range of autoimmune, inflammatory and some malignant conditions, can also be included in the SAI category. 3 SAI may be associated with other pituitary hormone deficits, including arginine vasopressin deficiency, which causes diabetes insipidus (DI).
Objective To determine whether adrenal crisis (AC) identification may be affected by the definition of hypotension. Context Delays in AC diagnosis can result in adverse outcomes. AC‐related cardiovascular compromise may vary according to baseline blood pressure and may be associated with delayed AC detection in some patients. Design A retrospective study of paired systolic blood pressure (sBP) measurements in hospitalized patients with primary AI (PAI). Patients Patients with PAI and an acute illness admitted for urgent treatment between 2000 and 2017. Measurements A comparison between sBP on hospital arrival and on discharge. Hypotension was classified as either absolute hypotension (sBP 100mg or lower) or relative hypotension (sBP over 100 mg but at least 20 mm Hg lower than discharge sBP). Results Of 152 admissions with paired blood pressure measurements, 46 (30.3%) included a medically diagnosed AC. Absolute hypotension was found in 38 (25.0%) records, and a further 21 (13.8%) patients were classified as having relative hypotension. Patients aged 65 years and older had the lowest (14.8%, n = 8) proportion with absolute hypotension but the highest (27.8%, n = 15) with relative hypotension. Use of either absolute or relative hypotension as the criterion for AC diagnosis increased the proportion of patients with an AC by 28.3% and the proportion of patients with an AC in the oldest age group by 130%. Conclusions Failure to detect cardiovascular compromise is common in older AI patients, may underestimate the AC rate in this group, and delay essential treatment. Relative hypotension may play a role in AC diagnosis.
In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of recognising an uncommon anastrozole-induced complication, which is frequently missed due to delayed onset. It also suggests that alterations in cutaneous immunity may be an important factor in the development of anastrozolerelated adverse events of the skin in breast cancer patients.
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