Podcast 141 - Adrenal Emergency

A young pediatric patient is having nausea and vomiting at school and is said to not be 'staying awake very well.' You discover assessment findings such as hypotension, hypoglycemia, and maybe even peaked T waves on the ECG. You receive information indicating that the child has something called "CAH". Or, perhaps...

An older patient is having dizziness upon standing, and persistent hypotension. You note a somewhat jaundiced appearance. They become unconscious in their kitchen while searching for a salty snack, and they appear rather sick. Or...

A middle-aged patient has suddenly stopped taking their high-dose prednisone for their asthma and is now feeling very weak and cannot stand.

We already know what this episode is about - adrenal insufficiency. However, what if those scenarios up above were in the form of a test question? Or worse yet, a real patient? Would we be aware of what's causing the signs and symptoms, and what the appropriate treatment is? Endocrinology does not get the respect it deserves in EMS, probably due to its low volume - we just do not see that many patients with endocrine emergencies outside of diabetes. Or do we, and we just don't notice?