ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Cushing's syndrome

Question 1

When you think cushings, think _____

Answer 1

too many steroids

Question 2

Cushings____ can be a side effect of taking steroids (outside influences)

Cushings____ can be caused by a physiologic dysfunction. (inside influence) can be caused by tumor producing too many steroids

Answer 2

• syndrome

- disease

Question 3

people with cushings have___ arms and legs, but they have____ obesity. why?

Answer 3

skinny; that’s where the protein and fat are being broken down.
they have central obesity

Question 4

If you put a child on steroids, you can expect them to be___ due to the break down of protein and fat.

Answer 4

short (growth arrest)

Question 5

In cushing’s patients, they have too many glucocorticoids as well as mineralocorticoids. that means they’ll have too much aldosterone. So, they’ll be experiencing fluid volume____.

which means that serum potassium will be___

Answer 5

excess

low

Question 6

If you did a 24 hour urine test on this patient, you would expect the cortisol levels to be___ because cortisol is just another word for___.

Answer 6

high

steroids

Question 7

Can you live without steroids?

Answer 7

No. so, if you have an adrenalectomy, the steroids need to be replaced.

Question 8

Anyone who has steroid dysfunctions, THEY CANNOT HANDLE ANY STRESS AT ALL. this means that they need what kind of environment?

Answer 8

a quiet and calm one; don’t wanna stress them out.

Question 9

What does this patient need in their diet pre-treatment?

____ K+

____Na+

____protein

___ Ca+

Why do you have brittle bones when you’re on steroids?

Answer 9

• increased K+ (too much aldosterone= increased sodium & water= decreased potassium)
• decreased
• increased (due to break down of protein and fat)
• increased calcium (steroids make you excrete calcium through your GI tract)
• since steroids make you excrete calcium through the GI tract, in order for the body to compensate, it releases PTH and PTH will grab calcium from the bone and put it in the blood stream to bring it back up. The same thing happens over and over when you take your steroid. This process will make your bones brittle overtime.

Question 10

What can you expect to see in the urine?

Answer 10

glucose

ketones (due to fat break down)