UNIT 4- ADRENAL DISORDERS Flashcards
What adrenal disorders can arise from problems within the adrenal cortex?
- Addison’s disease
- Cushing’s syndrome
What adrenal disorders can arise from the medulla?
- Pheochromocytoma
What is the function of the adrenal glands?
(general)
Adrenal glands secrete hormones which help regulate chemical balance, regulate metabolism and supplement other glands
What type of steroid hormones does the adrenal cortex secrete?
- Secretes mineralocorticoids
- aldosterone- fluid balance
- Secretes glucocorticoids
- Cortisol aids metabolism; when under stress;
- aids in decreasing the immune response
- Secretes androgens & estrogens
- androgens- male traits
- estrogens- female traits
What is Cushing’s disease
- Disease that increases cortisol due to increased ACTH from pituitary (FYI only)
What causes Cushing’s syndrome?
- Use of corticosteroids
What are the types of Cushing’s syndrome?
- Iatrogenic: Extended use of glucocorticoid
- Primary: Adrenal cortex
- Secondary:
- ACTH produced by CA of lung or pancreas leading to hyperplasia of a. cortex
What would lab work look like for a patient with Cushing’s syndrome?
- Decrease K+
- Increased NA & Glucose
- Increase cortisol (Serum & Urine)
What might our assessment of a patient with Cushing’s syndrome look like? (CV, MS, Psych, integument)
CV: HTN
MS: Osteoporosis, muscle wasting, & Weakness
Psych: Mood & Mental activity changes, psychosis
Integument: Abnormal fat deposits, fragile skin, bruising, striae, poor wound healing
What are examples of abnormal fat deposits?
- buffalo hump
- Moon face
- Truncal obesity w/ thin extremities
What are s/s of Cushing’s?
- Personality changes
- Moon face
- Increased susceptibility to infection
- high levels of cortisol can weaken the immune system.
- Males: Gynecomastia
- Fat deposits on back
- Hyperglycemia
- CNS irritability
- NA & fluid retention
- Thin extremities
- Gi distress- Increased acid
- Females: Amenorrhea/hirsutism
- Thin Skin
- Purple striae
- Bruises & Petechiae
How is Cushing’s diagnosed?
- Confirmation of increased plasma cortisol levels
- midnight or late night salivary cortisol
- low-dose dexamethasone suppression test
- 24- hour urine cortisol
- levels >80-120mcg/24 hours
- Plasma ACTH levels
- low or undetectable with Cushing syndrome
How do we manage Cushing’s syndrome?
Iatrogenic
1. Decrease corticosteroid dose
2. Change to every other day schedule
3. Taper off gradually
Medication- suppress ACTH or cortisol
Chemo and/or surgery for adrenal tumors or pituitary tumors
What are some nursing problems to keep in mind with a patient that has Cushing’s syndrome?
- knowledge deficit
- Fluid overload
- impaired skin integrity
- Altered body image
- Risk- for injury or infection
What should the nurse evaluate with a patient that has Cushing’s syndrome
- Cortisol & glucose level
What is Addison’s disease?
Hypofunction of A. Cortex
- A. Cortex: adrenocortical insufficiency
- decreased glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid, androgens
- Decrease aldosterone and cortison leading to increased k+, decreased NA and glucose
What causes Addison’s disease?
- sudden d/c of high dose steroids
- Destruction of the adrenal cotex
- Autoimmune
- sepsis
- trauma
- Surgery
- kidney injury
What might labs look like for a patient with Addison’s disease?
- Decreased aldosterone & Cortisol
- Decreased Na and glucose
- Increased K+
What might our assessment of a patient with Addison’s disease look like?
(CV, GI, Skin, MS, Mental status)
CV: Dysrhythmia, tachycardia, hypotension
GI: N/V, anorexia, diarrhea
SKIN: Hyper-pigmentation, poor healing
MS: Muscle & Joint pain, muscle weakness & Tremor
Mental Status: Depression, emotional liability, confusion
What are the s/s of Addison’s disease?
- Bronze pigmentation of skin
- Tachycardia
- GI disturbances
- weakness & Fatigue
- Depression
- Hypoglycemia
- Postural hypotension
- Weight loss, anorexia
Adrenal crisis:
1. Profound fatigue
2. Dehydration
3. Vascular collapse (decreased bp)
4. Decreased serum NA
5. Increased K+
What are the diagnostic testing for Addison’s disease?
- Adrenocortical hormone level
- ACTH levels
- ACTH/CTH stimulation test.
What is the therapeutic management of addison’s disease?
Administer: Glucocorticoid & Mineralocorticoid
Nutrition: Increased ca and vit. D, Na normal to mod. increase
Observe: Addisonian crisis
Monitor: VS, I&O, daily weight, WBC’s glucose, na, k, & CA
What should we educate Addison’s patients on?
- Medication- prescribed and OTC
- Stress/ sick day regime
- Symptoms to report
Addisonian crisis is precipitated by?
- Stress
- Trauma
- Abrupt d/c of corticosteroid use
- Infection
- Surgery
What are the s/s of Addisonian crisis?
- decreased Na and glucose
- H/A
- Weakness
- abd, leg & low back pain
- increased k+
- severe decreased bp
- irritable/confusion
- shock