Adrenal insufficiency

Question 1

what’s the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary adrenal insufficiency?

Answer 1

Question 2

what does ACTH stand for and what does it do?

Answer 2

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone
• stimulates cortisol production by the adrenal cortex

Question 3

what autoimmune condition causes 80-90% of cases of primary adrenal insufficiency?

Answer 3

Addison’s disease

Question 4

what’s tertiary adrenal insufficiency?

Answer 4

Question 5

in Addison’s disease, what happens to sodium and potassium levels?

Answer 5

hyponatraemia
hyperkalaemia
(Addisons = primary adrenal insufficiency. less aldosterone released, kidneys reabsorb less sodium and water and excrete less K+)

Question 6

what is adrenal insufficiency?

Answer 6

a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones (primarily cortisol and aldosterone)

Question 7

production of which two most-notable hormones are affected in adrenal insufficiency?

Answer 7

cortisol (glucocorticoid)
aldosterone (mineralocorticoid)
(both types of corticosteroid)

Question 8

Is hyper or hypocalcaemia associated with Addison’s disease?

Answer 8

hypercalcaemia (causation quite complicated)