Reviewing for NCLEX and can't remember what Adrenal Crisis is

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I am so frustrated, as I am reviewing for my NCLEX. I feel as if I scheduled my NCLEX too far away and now I am forgetting stuff.

I lent out my blk 4 CC book and I looked through Saunders and it didn't really do much for me. It's as if I am reading Greek. I hope it's just because I am so stressed out that I have this mental wall up and I can't comprehend or remember what Adrenal Crisis entails.

Can anyone please explain Adrenal Crisis or link me with anything to help me further understand the endocrine system. In school, I had it down pat, now is a different story.

Frustrated!

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acute adrenal crisis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there is not enough cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands.

hey dear i think so u got it ...............n dont worry this things happen alwys bfore exam but when u start your exam than it will cum in yr mind .....dont worry ...best luck..

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Orthopedics.

Here's something basic that may help:

Adrenal Crisis/Addisonian Crisis= "everything down,except for Potassium"

DROP of GMA(glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgen)= classic BRONZE skin

HYPOtension, DROP of Sodium (Hyponatremia) and HYPERKALEMIA

vs.

Cushing's Dse is the exact opposite= "everything down,except for SODIUM"

HIGH LEVELS of GMA (you will see the classic BUFFALO HUMP, TRUNCAL OBESITY, MOONFACE)

HYPERtension, HYPERnatremia and HYPOkalemia

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Thank you for the info.

When a patient is in addrenal crisis. Does this mean, because aldosterone has to do with sodium and water? And that if they are not making enough aldosterone, the patient is not retaining the sodium and water, hence urinating is increased with the risk of dehydration?

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Orthopedics.

Exactly.. When you get a drop of ALDOSTERONE, automatically NA and Water levels decrease as well, blood volume and pressure decreases leading to hypotension, dehydration, the like. No need to over analyze my friend :) Basics, basics, basics are good things..

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acute adrenal crisis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there is not enough cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands.

hey dear i think so u got it ...............n dont worry this things happen alwys bfore exam but when u start your exam than it will cum in yr mind .....dont worry ...best luck..

hope this helps. if you know what the function of aldosterone is and if you know that addison's is less aldosterone then you can understand it. once you know addisons, you know cushings because it is the opposite. addisonian crisis is addisons to the 10th degree amplified.

it's no sense trying to memorize down, down, down, up etc if you don't understand the why because you will forget it. i've included the function of aldosterone and theywhys:

****************************************

aldosterone – retains sodium and water and loses potassium- mineral corticosteroid

addisons

too little steroids

excretes sodium and water and holds on to potassium so increase potassium

hyponatremia (losing sodium), hypotension (losing sodium and water/losing volume), hyperkalemia (retaining potassium), hypoglycemia ( less steroids), fluid volume deficit (losing sodium/water/fluids)(losing weight)

tx- adrenal insufficiency- give mineralcorticosteroid i.e aldosterone/florinef, increase sodium in diet, i/o & daily weights,

cushings

too much steroids (increased cortisol = steroids if you do a 24hr urine on the client), urine contains ketones and glucose

retains sodium and water and excretes potassium so decrease in potassium

hypernatremia ( retaining sodium), hypertension( retaining sodium and water), hypokalemia (losing potassium), hyperglycemia (steroids increases glucose), fluid volume excess (retaining sodium/water/fluids)

tx

adrenalectomy- uni or bilateral),

decreased sodium, increase protein (body breaking it down), increase calcium ( steroids decrease serum ca by pulling from bones and excreting through gi tract), quiet environment, low stress, increased potassium in diet pre-treatment,

as you can see if you learn the manifestations for one , it’s the opposite for the other. hurst did a fantastic job is explaining the whys for each condition and if you fundamentally understand how aldosterone works you won’t have to remember down, down, down, up, down or any other pneumonic for addisons/cushings. i always had a hard time once i had taken an endocrine test in retaining the info. hurst content videos did an excellent job and i can spit this info out with my eyes close without looking at a book or referencing pneumonics.

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I very heartfelt thank you to both you! I am very much one of those people that have to understand the physiology! Because just like you said, if you don't it means nothing and you don't retain it. I drove my instructors nuts and even a few class mates. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I should add that I lent out my CC block 4 book as well as my Med/Surg book and it explained it so well and I hadn't written notes in the margin. So when I went online for a better understanding it was either way over my head doctorate level or not what I was looking for. So I appreciate the response. I know it took some time to type that out.

:)Emma

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you're welcome and yes sometimes googling gives you an over abundance of info that may be more confusion. Good luck.

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