Hemodynamic Instability in a Major Burn Patient Associated with Asymptomatic Iatrogenic Adrenal Insufficiency:Report of a Case
作者
Tyng-Luen Roan, Eng-Kean Yeong, Yueh-Bih Tang
卷期/出版年月
44卷1期 (2011/2)
頁次
35-40
摘要
Objective: The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to adrenal insufficiency
instead of hypovolumic shock as a possible cause of hemodynamic instability during
the early stages of burn resuscitation.
Case report: Adrenal insufficiency after a severe burn is uncommon. We recently
encountered a 29-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal cancer who was
admitted to our burn center due to a second-to-third degree thermal burn involving
40% of his total body surface area (TBSA). The patient had been receiving radiochemotherapy
and was taking dexamethasone (4 mg/day) for post-irradiation brain
necrosis and swelling; he had no clinical symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome under
this treatment. In the initial phase of fluid resuscitation, the patient showed
hemodynamic instability and poor responses to both intravenous fluid challenge and
vasopressors. As adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) testing was consistent with
adrenal insufficiency, solu-cortef (200 mg/day) was given. Blood pressure then was
restored to the normal level without vasopressors.