Reevaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Serum cortisol and plasma ACTH were determined in 10 patients with severe sepsis and 12 with septic shock on day 1,3,5 after diagnosis were made,and the data were compared with 12 control patients. To evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis function in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock,1?g ACTH stimulation test was applied after hormone concentrations were obtained on day 1.Compared with the control patients,ACTH level was significantly higher in patients with severe sepsis and lower in septic shock(P