Adrenal Crisis

Overview

4.8 out of 5 (144 Reviews)

Credits

1.50

Post-Assessment Questions

18

Start Date

1 Sep 2023

Last Review Date

15 Feb 2025

Expiration Date

31 Aug 2026

Estimated Time To Finish

90 Minutes


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Activity Description

Adrenal crisis, or Addisonian crisis, is a severe, life-threatening endocrine emergency resulting from acute adrenal insufficiency. It has a substantial mortality rate and requires immediate recognition and intervention to prevent fatal outcomes. This condition typically arises due to inadequate cortisol production, which may stem from primary adrenal failure, secondary suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or other triggers like infections, trauma, or medication discontinuation.

Patients often present with nonspecific symptoms, including fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, and hypotension, which can rapidly progress to shock, metabolic encephalopathy, and coma. Due to its rare occurrence, this condition remains inadequately recognized, leading to substantial treatment delays and elevated mortality rates. Without prompt treatment, adrenal crisis may lead to circulatory collapse and death. 

Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, patient history, and laboratory findings such as electrolyte abnormalities and elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (in primary adrenal insufficiency). Management involves prompt administration of intravenous hydrocortisone, fluid resuscitation, and preventative strategies. This activity for healthcare professionals is designed to enhance the learner's competence in early recognition of adrenal crisis and its precipitating factors, performing the recommended evaluation, and implementing an appropriate interprofessional management approach to improve patient outcomes.


Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of physicians, physician associates, nurses, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and dentists.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learner will be better able to:

  • Identify the clinical features of adrenal crises in patients with known or undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency.

  • Determine the appropriate management approach for a patient in an adrenal crisis.

  • Implement stress dosing guidelines for glucocorticoid replacement therapy to prevent adrenal crisis.

  • Apply interprofessional team strategies to improve care coordination and outcomes in patients with adrenal crisis.

Disclosures

StatPearls, LLC requires everyone who influences the content of an educational activity to disclose relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies that have occurred within the past 24 months. Ineligible companies are organizations whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. All relevant conflict(s) of interest have been mitigated. Hover over contributor names for financial disclosures. Others involved in planning this educational activity have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial Support: This activity has received NO commercial support.

Continuing Education Accreditation Information

In support of improving patient care, StatPearls, LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

 

Nurses: StatPearls designates this activity for 1.50 ANCC contact hour(s). Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Please consult your professional licensing board for information on the applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity.

Method of Participation and Credit

  1. Register for the activity.    
  2. Review the target audience, learning objectives, and disclosure information.
  3. Study the educational content of the enduring material.
  4. Choose the best answer to each activity test question. To receive credit and a certificate, you must pass the test questions with a minimum score of 100%.
  5. Complete the post-activity assessment survey.

If you have concerns regarding the CE/CME system, please contact support@statpearls.com.

Disclaimer

This educational activity was planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Faculty may discuss investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Readers should verify all information before employing any therapies described in this educational activity.

The information provided for this activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition. The information presented does not necessarily reflect the views of StatPearls or any commercial supporters of educational activities on statpearls.com. StatPearls expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the course, for undetected error, or through a participant's misunderstanding of the content.

Unapproved Uses of Drugs/Devices: In accordance with FDA requirements, the audience is advised that information presented in this continuing education activity may contain references to unlabeled or unapproved uses of drugs or devices. Please refer to the FDA-approved package insert for each drug/device for full prescribing/utilization information.

Cancellation Policy: Please see the cancellation policy. StatPearls, LLC reserves the right to cancel any course due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

 
 

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Unlimited Nurse CE

Stay up to date on the latest medical knowledge with 6743 CE activities. In these online self-assessment activities, read our reference articles and test your knowledge with more than 8017 hours of CE.

1 Year Unlimited Nurse CE

Access to all the Unlimited Nurse CE activities in all specialties.

$39.99 per 1 year per user