STRESSED OUT? RELATIVE ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY IN CRITICALLY ILL FOALS

摘要

Intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is essential for regulating the physiologic, metabolic, and inflammatory responses to critical illness. Despite the vital role the HPA axis plays in the endocrine response to severe illness,HPA axis dysfunction occurs frequently in human beings with sepsis, septic shock, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and is correlated with both increased disease severity and increased mortality. The purpose of this review is to describe recent evidence that suggests a similar prevalence and significance of HPA axis dysfunction in the critically ill neonatal foal.