ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Adrenal Glands (ADRENAL MEDULLA)

Question 1

You need your adrenal glands to handle___

Answer 1

stress

Question 2

What are the 2 parts to the adrenal gland?

Answer 2

• adrenal medulla

- adrenal cortex

Question 3

ADRENAL MEDULLA:

When you see adrenal medulla, think___ and ___

Answer 3

Epinephrine & nor-epinephrine

Question 4

THE MAJOR MEDULLA PROBLEM WE WILL SEE IS CALLED____

Answer 4

PHEOCROMOCYTOMA

Question 5

______ are benign tumors that secrete EPI & NOR-EPI in intermittent boluses. So, you’ll have ____ BP, ____ PULSE, & become diaphoretic.

Answer 5

Pheocromocytoma; increased bp and pulse

Question 6

What is the test called to DX pheocromocytoma?

Answer 6

VMA (vanylmandelic acid test)

Question 7

what do we look for in the VMA? how long does it take?

Answer 7

a 24 hour urine specimen is done and you are looking for increased levels of epi and norepi (catecholamines). the patient has to do a 24 hr urine collection because they experience this intermittently.

Question 8

How do you perform a 24 hour urine specimen collection test?

What happens if they miss collecting 1 urine?

What do you tell your patient when she/he is collecting the urine about their activity level?

Answer 8

• discard the first morning void
• collect all of the urine throughout the day
• and when the time is up, you save the last voiding

they have to start completely over again.

• they need to be calm and not engage in anything that will voluntarily increase their energy level (exercise..etc!) we don’t want anything to alter the test.

Question 9

What dietary ingredient may alter the results of the VMA test?

Answer 9

anything with VANILLA in it.

Question 10

what is the treatment for pheocromocytoma?

Answer 10

surgery/tumor removal