Friday, February, 10, 2012

Acute adrenal crisis

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Adrenal crisis; Addisonian crisis; Acute adrenal insufficiency


Symptoms
  • Abdominal pain
  • Confusion or coma
  • Darkening of the skin
  • Dehydration
  • Dizziness or light-headedness
  • Fatigue
  • Flank pain
  • Headache
  • High fever
  • Joint pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea
  • Profound weakness
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Rapid respiratory rate (see tachypnea)
  • Shaking chills
  • Skin rash or lesions
  • Slow, sluggish movement
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Unusual and excessive sweating on face or palms
  • Vomiting

Signs and tests
  • ACTH (cosyntropin) stimulation test
  • Cortisol level
  • Fasting blood sugar
  • Serum potassium
  • Serum sodium

Review Date: 11/23/2009
Reviewed By: Ari S. Eckman, MD, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)