ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Adrenal Glands (ADRENAL CORTEX)

Question 1

4 major actions of glucocorticoids that are VIP!!!

Answer 1

1- change your mood (can give you energy and give you insomnea, make you depressed, can make you mean, can make you psycho).

2- alter defense mechanisms (suppresses your immune system)

3- break down protein/fat

4- inhibits insulin (will make your blood sugar up since it’s blocking the effects of insulin)

Question 2

THE MAJOR mineralocortiocoid is____

Answer 2

Aldosterone

Question 3

Aldosterone makes you retain ___ and ____.

it makes you lose ____.

Answer 3

sodium & water

lose potassium

Question 4

Hyperaldosterone= too muuch___ & ____= fluid volume____.

Too much aldosterone, too little____

Too little aldosterone, too much____

Answer 4

sodium & water= excess

potassium

potassium

Question 5

Addisson’s disease is an____ problem. AKA

With addisson’s disease, you need to add=___.

Answer 5

• adrenal coretext problem (Addrenal= addisson’s) (adrenal cortext= glucocorticoids= addissons needs more STEROIDS)
• AKA ADRENAL CORTICAL INSUFICIENCY.
• add steroids

Question 6

s/s of ADDISSON’S DISEASE:

_____ And nausea

___pigmentation

___bowel sounds

_____ upset

____ glycemia. why?

white, patchy areas of depigmented skin AKA___

_____ BP (due to increased capillary permeability and decreased ability of the vessels to constrict and we are losing sodim and water due to hypoaldosteronism as well)

Answer 6

• anorexia
• hyperpigmentation
• decrease bowel sounds
• gi upset
• hypoglycemia (normally, steroids make your BG go up, but since we don’t have enough steroids, the BG is down).
• vitiligo
• decreased

Question 7

ADDISSON’S TX:

Combat shock because they’re losing___ &___

processed fruit juice and broth would be good to eat/drink because it has a lot of____

why do we wanna check daily weight?

will they gain or lose weight?

• what is the name of the mineralcorticoid they will be placed on? AKA

Answer 7

-sodium and water

–sodium

• too little aldosterone= too little sodium and water= fluid issue
• lose weight
• florinef AKA aldosterone

Question 8

Patient on FLORINEF AKA aldosterone:

PT has developed edema or their BP is up. what should the nurse do?

PT’s BP is steadily dropping. what should the nurse do?

Answer 8

• hold med and call doc

- doc will increase dose

Question 9

This is characterized by severe hypotension and vascular collapse

Answer 9

Adissonian crisis

Question 10

Why do we ALWAYS wanna taper clients off of steroids?

Answer 10

if they stop it suddenly, they will suddenly have no steroids in their body for that time frame and they’ll experience an addissonian crisis.

NEVER STOP TAKING STEROIDS ABRUPTLY!!!