Mineralocorticoid Dysfunction during Critical Illness: A Review of the Evidence.

The recent demonstration of the significant reduction in mortality in patients with septic shock treated with adjunctive glucocorticoids combined with fludrocortisone and the effectiveness of angiotensin II in treating vasodilatory shock have renewed interest in the role of the mineralocorticoid axis in critical illness. Glucocorticoids have variable interactions at the mineralocorticoid receptor. Similarly, mineralocorticoid receptor-aldosterone interactions differ from mineralocorticoid receptor-glucocorticoid interactions and predicate receptor-ligand interactions that differ with respect to cellular effects. Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism or selective hypoaldosteronism, an impaired adrenal response to increasing renin levels, occurs in a subgroup of hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients. The suggestion is that there is a defect at the level of the adrenal zona glomerulosa associated with a high mortality rate that may represent an adaptive response aimed at increasing cortisol levels. Furthermore, cross-talk exists between angiotensin II and aldosterone, which needs to be considered when employing therapeutic strategies.

Mesenteric plasmacytoma: an unusual cause of an abdominal mass.

Plasmacytoma is a rare plasma cell tumour that arises from plasma cells. The tumour accounts for about 3 - 5% of all plasma cell malignancies and most often affects the head and neck, but may also occur in the gastrointestinal tract. To our knowledge, mesenteric plasmacytoma has not been described previously. We describe the presentation and management of a case of mesenteric plasmacytoma presenting as an abdominal mass in a 69-year-old HIV-positive man.

CIRMI-a new term for a concept worthy of further exploration: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) describes hypothalamic-pituitary-axis impairment during critical illness associated with three major pathophysiological events; dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis, altered cortisol metabolism, and tissue corticosteroid resistance. Similar changes are evident with regard to mineralocorticoid dysfunction in critical illness. Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism describes a sub-population of critically ill patients with an impaired adrenal aldosterone response to increased levels of renin. In the light of the recent demonstration of significant mortality improvements associated with adjunctive glucocorticoid treatment in combination with fludrocortisone in septic shock, and the suggestion that angiotensin II is effective in treating vasodilatory shock, the clinical relevance of mineralocorticoid dysfunction in critical illness requires further exploration. This interpretative review considers hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism, a concept worth re-examining in the light of the potential mortality benefit of mineralocorticoid supplementation in critical illness. We compare the pathophysiological and clinical characteristics of CIRCI and hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism, two syndromes that represent corticosteroid and mineralocorticoid dysfunction in critical illness. We highlight gaps in the literature and give novel insights into the limitations of assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Methods: English language abstracts and articles published before June 2021 were identified through PubMed and Google Scholar. Randomized trials, observational studies, basic sciences studies, systematic and narrative reviews were considered. Reference lists of articles were searched for further relevant material. Key Content and Findings: Difficulties are encountered in interpreting measures of gluco- and mineralo-corticoid activity in critical illness. Aldosterone levels, like cortisol, have been shown to be increased in sepsis and hemorrhagic shock. The finding of hyperreninemia and hyperaldosteronism with an aldosterone/plasma renin activity ratio below 2 should prompt consideration of hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism, a finding, which likely signifies the loss of negative feedback control of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Conclusions: As there is evidence to suggest that in acute critical illness, hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism, is associated with poor outcomes, co-administration of hydrocortisone with fludrocortisone in patients with septic shock should be considered. In keeping with the concept of CIRCI, we suggest the term critical illness-related mineralocorticoid insufficiency as a more appropriate description of the impaired aldosterone response to increased levels of renin seen in this group of patients.

Applicability of the revised trauma score in paediatric patients admitted to a South African intensive care unit: A retrospective cohort study.

CONTEXT: Revised Trauma Score (RTS) is a validated tool in assessing patients in a pre-hospital setting. There are limited data describing its potential use in guiding referral to intensive care. AIMS: Trauma scoring systems require appropriate validation in a local setting before effective application. This work examines the applicability of RTS to a paediatric intensive care trauma population. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective record review of trauma patients admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital between 2011 and 2013 was performed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The cohort was arbitrarily split into three subgroups based on RTS using the 33rd and 66th percentile values and groups compared. Outcome measures examined included mortality, age, gender, length of stay (LoS), duration of ventilation (DoV) and change in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) from admission to discharge. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Categorical values examined with Fisher's exact test. Non-categorical values examined with the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's multiple comparisons tests. RESULTS: Of 919 children admitted, 165 admissions were secondary to trauma. Data necessary for calculation of RTS were available in 91 patients. The mean RTS was 5.3, 33rd percentile was 4.7 and 66th was 5.9. DoV (P = 0.0104) and LoS (P = 0.0395) were significantly different between intermediate- and low-risk groups as was change in GCS between low-risk and both other groups (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: RTS is not predictive of mortality between high-risk (RTS < 4.09) and low-risk patients (RTS > 5.67) in this population. It may be useful in predicting other outcomes such as DoV and LoS.