Thyrotoxicosis.

Hyperthyroidism is a diagnosis existing along a spectrum of severity. Patients present with a variety of signs and symptoms: tachycardia, elevated heart rate, anxiety, changes in mental status, gastrointestinal disturbances, and hyperthermia. Management of subclinical hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis without thyroid storm is heavily dependent on outpatient evaluation. Thyroid storm is the most severe form of hyperthyroidism with the highest mortality. Management of thyroid storm follows a stepwise approach, with resuscitation and detection of the precipitating cause being paramount. Special attention should be paid to cardiac function in patients with thyroid storm before treatment, as these patients may develop cardiac collapse.

Thyroid Storm-Induced Refractory Multiorgan Failure Managed by Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support: A Case-Series.

BACKGROUND Severe hyperthyroidism, including thyroid storm, can be precipitated by acute events, such as surgery, trauma, infection, medications, parturition, and noncompliance or stoppage of antithyroid drugs. Thyroid storm is one of the serious endocrinal emergencies that prompts early diagnosis and treatment. Early occurrence of multiorgan failure is an ominous sign that requires aggressive treatment, including the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support as a bridge to stability and definitive surgical treatment. Most adverse events occur after failure of medical therapy. CASE REPORT We described 4 cases of fulminating thyroid storm that were complicated with multiple organ failure and cardiac arrest. The patients, 3 female and 1 male, were between 39 and 46 years old. All patients underwent ECMO support, with planned thyroidectomy. Three survived to discharge and 1 died after prolonged cardiac arrest and sepsis. All patients underwent peripheral, percutaneous, intensivist-led cannulation for VA-ECMO with no complications. CONCLUSIONS Early recognition of thyroid storm, identification of the cause, and proper treatment and support in the intensive care unit is essential. Patients with thyroid storm and cardiovascular collapse, who failed to improve with conventional supportive measures, had the worst prognosis, and ECMO support should be considered as a bridge until the effective therapy takes effect. Our case series showed that, in patients with life-threatening thyroid storm, VA-ECMO can be used as bridge to stabilization, definitive surgical intervention, and postoperative endocrine management. Interprofessional team management is essential, and early implantation of VA-ECMO is likely beneficial in patients with thyroid storm after failure of conventional management.

High risk and low prevalence diseases: Thyroid storm.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid storm is a rare but serious condition that carries a high rate of morbidity and even mortality. OBJECTIVE: This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of thyroid storm, including presentation, diagnosis, and management in the emergency department (ED) based on current evidence. DISCUSSION: Thyroid storm is a challenging condition to diagnose and manage in the ED. It is characterized by exaggerated signs and symptoms of thyrotoxicosis and evidence of multiorgan decompensation, usually occurring in the presence of an inciting trigger. Clinical features of thyroid storm may include fever, tachycardia, signs of congestive heart failure, vomiting/diarrhea, hepatic dysfunction, and central nervous system disturbance. There are several mimics including sympathomimetic overdose, substance use disorders, alcohol withdrawal, acute pulmonary edema, aortic dissection, heat stroke, serotonin syndrome, and sepsis/septic shock. Ultimately, the key to diagnosis is considering the disease. While laboratory assessment can assist, there is no single laboratory value that will establish a diagnosis of thyroid storm. Clinical criteria include the Burch-Wartofsky point scale and Japan Thyroid Association diagnostic criteria. ED treatment focuses on diagnosing and managing the trigger; resuscitation; administration of steroids, thionamides, iodine, and cholestyramine; and treatment of hyperthermia and agitation. Beta blockers should be administered in the absence of severe heart failure. The emergency clinician should be prepared for rapid clinical deterioration and employ a multidisciplinary approach to treatment that involves critical care and endocrinology specialists. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of thyroid storm can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.

PICU treatment of 3 cases of pediatric thyroid storm: Case series and literature review.

RATIONALE: Thyroid storm (TS), also known as thyroid crisis, is a life-threatening condition that involves multiple organ dysfunction and high mortality due to uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. TS in children is extremely rare, early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prognosis of the children. PATIENT CONCERNS: Three female children who diagnosed as "thyroid storm" were admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). One of them had a family history of hyperthyroidism and others had infection factors induced TS. They presented with characteristic manifestations of TS and were evaluated with Burch-Wartofsky Point Scale (BWPS) hyperthyroidism score. DIAGNOSES: Three cases showed that free triiodothyronine 3 (FT3) and free triiodothyronine 4 (FT4) were increased and Thyroid-Stimulating-Hormone was significantly decreased, which were characteristic in hyperthyroidism. They presented with characteristic manifestations of TS and were evaluated with BWPS hyperthyroidism score. INTERVENTIONS: All the cases were given antithyroid drugs (ATDs) for treatment. In addition, 1 of them underwent therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) after transferring to PICU. OUTCOMES: One of the cases was declared dead and others were survived. LESSONS: TS should be identified timely and treated early. Further studies are needed to determine the diagnostic criteria and scoring system for TS in pediatric.

Endocrine Emergencies During Pregnancy: Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Thyroid Storm.

The physiologic changes and common signs and symptoms of pregnancy can make the early recognition of endocrine emergencies more challenging. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur at only modestly elevated glucose levels (euglycemic DKA), often accompanied by starvation ketosis due to substantial fetal-placental glucose demands and is associated with a high stillbirth rate. Thyroid storm is life threatening with a higher rate of heart failure and both require prompt and aggressive treatment to avoid maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Treatment of these disorders and the special considerations for recognition and management in the context of pregnancy are reviewed.

Clinical Review and Update on the Management of Thyroid Storm.

Thyroid storm is a severe manifestation of thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid storm is diagnosed as a combination of thyroid function studies showing low to undetectable thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (<0.01mU/L) with elevated free thyroxine (T4) and/or triiodothyronine (T3), positive thyroid receptor antibody (TRab) (if Graves' disease is the underlying etiology), and with clinical signs and symptoms of end organ damage. Treatment involves bridging to a euthyroid state prior to total thyroidectomy or radioactive iodine ablation to limit surgical complications such as excessive bleeding from highly vascular hyperthyroid tissue or exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis. The purpose of this article is a clinical review of the various treatments and methodologies to achieve a euthyroid state in patients with thyroid storm prior to definitive therapy.

Acute right ventricular failure evoked by trauma induced thyroid storm supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report.

RATIONALE: Cardiac arrest due to thyroid storm is a very rare clinical feature with high mortality that presents as multiorgan dysfunction. The mortality rate under this condition is close to 30%, even with appropriate treatment. Most thyroid storms occur in patients with long-standing untreated hyperthyroidism. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 67-year-old woman, who had no specific medical history, was admitted with stupor mentality after a pedestrian traffic accident. DIAGNOSIS: The patient had a Burch and Wartofsky score of 80, well beyond the criteria for diagnosis of a thyroid storm (>45 points). INTERVENTIONS: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was performed due to persistent unstable vital signs and findings of right ventricular dysfunction after return of spontaneous circulation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Circulatory assist with ECMO was performed for 8 days using a beta blocker, steroids, thionamide, and Lugol iodine solution. OUTCOMES: Myocardial function and thyroid hormone levels were rapidly normalized. The patient's mental state recovered, and patient was discharged on day 36 maintaining medication. LESSONS: Diagnosis of a thyroid storm in patients with multiple trauma is very difficult, because most trauma patients have symptoms of tachycardia, altered mental status, and abdominal pain that appear in thyrotoxic events. However, when unexplained shock without bleeding evidence occurs in patients with multiple trauma, a thyroid function test should be performed to rule out thyroid storm. Moreover, if hyperthyroidism is observed in a trauma patient, even if there is no history of hyperthyroidism, the possibility of a thyroid storm must be considered along with medical support treatment such as ECMO in patient with cardiogenic shock.

Endocrine Emergencies in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Endocrine emergencies are underdiagnosed and often overlooked amid the management of severe multisystem pathologies in critically ill patients in the medical intensive care unit (ICU). In an appropriate clinical scenario, a low threshold of suspicion should be kept to investigate for various life-threatening, yet completely treatable, endocrinopathies. Prompt identification and treatment of endocrine emergencies such as diabetic ketoacidosis, myxedema coma, thyroid storm, and/or adrenal insufficiency leads to fewer complications, shorter ICU and hospital stay, and improved survival. This review article entails common endocrine emergencies encountered in the ICU and addresses their epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and management.

Algunos elementos de interés acerca del diagnóstico y tratamiento de la tormenta tirotóxica / Some elements of interest about the diagnosis and treatment of thyrotoxic storm

Introducción: La tormenta tirotóxica se produce por la liberación repentina y rápida de hormonas tiroideas al torrente sanguíneo. Constituye la complicación más peligrosa de la tirotoxicosis. Objetivo: Describir los principales elementos de interés acerca del diagnóstico y del tratamiento de la tormenta tirotóxica. Métodos: Se utilizaron como motores de búsqueda los correspondientes a las bases de datos Google Académico, Pubmed y SciELO. Las palabras clave utilizadas fueron: tormenta tirotóxica, tormenta tiroidea, tirotoxicosis, hipertiroidismo, diagnóstico y tratamiento. Se evaluaron y se incluyeron los trabajos de revisión, de investigación y las páginas web que tuvieran menos de 10 años de publicados y que por el título trataban el tema de estudio. Fueron excluidos los artículos que no estuvieran en idioma español, portugués o inglés. En total 34 artículos fueran referenciados. Conclusiones: El diagnóstico es eminentemente clínico y se realiza por la detección de factores desencadenantes. Se suma la exacerbación del cuadro clínico de tirotoxicosis previamente existente, el cual afecta a varios sistemas del organismo como consecuencia del aumento de las hormonas tiroideas circulantes. Lo ideal es prevenir la tormenta tirotóxica, aunque ya establecido el tratamiento no se debe retrasar la terapia de la causa desencadenante y de la causa específica. Deberá estar encaminada a reducir la síntesis y la secreción de las hormonas tiroideas y a minimizar las acciones periféricas de estas. Deberán emplearse diferentes fármacos y otras medidas terapéuticas para tratar las complicaciones sistémicas para complementar el tratamiento(AU)

Introduction: Thyrotoxic storm is caused by the sudden and rapid release of thyroid hormones into the bloodstream. It is the most dangerous complication of thyrotoxicosis. Objective: Describe some elements of interest about the diagnosis and treatment of thyrotoxic storm. Methods: Search engines corresponding to Google Scholar, Pubmed and SciELO databases were used. The keywords used were: thyrotoxic storm; thyroid storm; thyrotoxicosis; hyperthyroidism; diagnosis and treatment. The review papers, research papers and web pages, which in general, had less than 10 years of publication and that by the title dealt with the subject of study were evaluated and included. Articles that were not in Spanish, Portuguese or English were excluded. A total of 34 articles were referenced. Conclusions: The diagnosis is eminently clinical and is made by the detection of triggers, to which is added the exacerbation of the clinical picture of thyrotoxicosis previously existing, which affects several systems of the body as a result of the circulating thyroid hormones increase. The ideal is to prevent the thyrotoxic storm; although if the treatment is already established, the therapy of the triggering cause and the specific cause should not be delayed. It should be aimed at reducing the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones and minimizing their peripheral actions. Different drugs and other therapeutic measures should be used to treat systemic complications to complement treatment(AU)

Delayed diagnosis of dilated thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy with coexistent multifocal atrial tachycardia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid storm (TS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening sequelae of untreated or undertreated hyperthyroidism. While TS frequently causes high-output heart failure, low-output heart failure related to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is extremely rare. Tachycardia is a common clinical presentation of TS, and ß1-selective blockers are the first-line agents for treating TS-associated tachycardia. However, given that ß-blockers have negative chronotropic and negative inotropic effects, amiodarone may be safe and effective for the treatment of TS-induced tachyarrhythmia in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. While long-term amiodarone administration causes hypothyroidism, or less frequently, hyperthyroidism, little is known about the effects of short-term amiodarone administration on thyroid function. CASE PRESENTATION: A 31-year-old healthy woman presented with worsening dyspnoea. She was tachycardic with multifocal atrial tachycardia (MAT) of 184 beats/min, confirmed by electrocardiogram. Echocardiographic findings were consistent with DCM, with an ejection fraction of 20%. Thus, she was initially diagnosed with acute heart failure due to DCM with coexistent MAT. Tachycardia persisted despite cardioversion attempts and treatment with multiple anti-arrhythmic drugs. Consequently, she rapidly progressed to cardiogenic shock and respiratory decompensation, which required intubation and an intra-aortic balloon pump support. Moreover, the undiagnosed Graves' disease, lack of suspicion, and postponed analysis of thyroid function tests led to a delayed diagnosis of TS. Amiodarone, which was initiated for MAT, unexpectedly ameliorated thyrotoxicosis, resulting in a euthyroid state and the patient's significantly improved condition and cardiac function. She was discharged on day 40. Finally, she underwent total thyroidectomy; thyroid pathology was consisting with Graves' disease. Her postoperative course was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we describe a case of delayed diagnosis of dilated thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy with coexistent MAT. The patient required intensive care due to the catastrophic sequelae and was successfully treated with amiodarone. This is the first case report of TS-associated MAT and highlights the clinical importance of high suspicion of TS in de novo heart failure with any tachyarrhythmia or DCM of unknown etiology and the potential effects of short-term amiodarone administration in the treatment of TS.

Neonatal thyroid storm: the importance of an accurate antenatal history.

A near-term infant became unwell immediately after birth with cardiorespiratory compromise-persistent tachycardia, pulmonary hypertension and reduced cardiac function. There had been no concerns during the pregnancy and the obstetrical and maternal medical history was unremarkable apart from hypothyroidism. A thyroid function test on admission revealed a significantly elevated free T4 and a diagnosis of a thyroid storm was made. On questioning it became apparent that she had Graves' disease after her last pregnancy and was rendered hypothyroid post surgery, she was not aware of the relevance of this at her booking visit. This case highlights the importance of monitoring of women who have a history of a diagnosis of Graves' disease, regardless of thyroid function status, to allow for appropriate antenatal monitoring, preparedness of the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) team and correct follow-up of the neonate. It also demonstrates the importance of ensuring a patient is properly educated about their condition.

[New aspects of therapeutic plasma exchange in critical care medicine]. / Therapeutische Plasmapherese in der Intensivmedizin.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used to eliminate toxins, hormones or antibodies from the blood and replace the lost volume with fresh frozen plasma, albumin or crystalloids. In this article, recent advances in the usage for TPE for four different critical disease entities are explored: Septic shock, acute liver failure, catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) and thyrotoxic storm. SEPTIC SHOCK: Even though randomized controlled trials have not been able to demonstrate a clear benefit of TPE in septic shock, recent data demonstrates a sufficient safety profile for usage in critically ill, highly catecholamine dependent individuals. Moreover, an improvement in several surrogate parameters has been demonstrated. ACUTE LIVER FAILURE: High volume TPE has been shown to improve outcome in patients in acute liver failure in a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. However, this was only true for a subgroup of patients which did not receive a liver transplant. This raises the question about the effectiveness for TPE as a bridge to transplant therapy. CAPS: Retrospective data analysis demonstrates a clear benefit in survival when a triple therapy containing anticoagulation, corticosteroids and TPE or intravenous immunoglobulin is used. However, there was no difference in survival between the usage of intravenous immunoglobulin or TPE and no added benefit in using both. THYROTOXIC STORM: Thyroid hormones can be eliminated using TPE. This has been shown in a retrospective data analysis of 2018 and caused the ASFA to view TPE as a second line therapy for thyrotoxic storm in the most recent 2019 guidelines.

Therapeutic plasma exchange for control of thyroid storm.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for thyroid storm has recently been upgraded to a category II indication after decades though its recommendation level still remains at Grade 2C according to the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA). In the absence of prospective randomized controlled trials due to the rarity of thyroid storm, retrospective data from case series continue to elevate the clinical evidence supporting TPE as a life-saving modality for complicated thyroid storm patients. We report three cases of life-threatening thyroid storm from Graves' disease rescued by TPE via rapid reduction in circulating thyroid hormones. Each patient underwent TPE when it was judged that other thyroid storm treatment options were futile or unsafe. The first patient received 4 cycles of TPE while the second patient received 9 cycles of TPE, and the third patient received 2 cycles of TPE with satisfactory clinical improvement. Plasma FT4 and TSH receptor antibody levels of the first case declined by 41.3% and >50% respectively right after the first round of TPE; plasma FT4 of the second patient dropped by up to 31.6% during the course of TPE; plasma FT4 and TSH receptor antibody of the third patient declined by 66% and 56.2% respectively after the first cycle of TPE. This demonstrates the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of TPE in thyroid storm especially when other therapeutic interventions are contraindicated. TPE operates via the elimination of serum proteins-bound thyroid hormones, thyroid autoantibodies, cytokines, and catecholamines in addition to increasing unsaturated binding sites for thyroid hormones.

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange Combined with Total Thyroidectomy to Rescue a Case of Thyroid Storm Intolerant to Antithyroid Drugs.

Thyroid storm is a syndrome related to acute exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis for which timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Importance of antithyroid drug therapy in thyroid storm patients has been emphasised in clinical treatments for a long time. These patients should receive definitive therapy for their underlying hyperthyroidism to avoid recurrence after controlling thyroid storm. However, the curative effect of antithyroid medication is sometimes limited because of rare or serious side effects or failure to control disease progression, resulting in few treatment alternatives. We present a case of an old woman with thyroid storm and antithyroid drug intolerance, which was successfully managed using a combination of plasma exchange and thyroidectomy. It confirms the significant benefits of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) when clinical conditions do not allow routine treatment of thyroid storm. This procedure is safe and effective when performed preoperatively as a rescue measure for thyroid storm patients. Key Words: Thyroid storm, Drug intolerance, Plasma exchange, Total Thyroidectomy.

Thyroid storm presenting as septic shock in the intensive care unit: A Case Series.

Thyroid storm is a rare endocrine emergency that rarely presents with septic shock. It occurs in thyrotoxic patients and is manifested by decompensation of multiple organs, triggered by severe stress. The diagnosis and response to treatment is made by Burch-Wartofsky point scale or Japanese thyroid association criteria due to lack of pathophysiology of thyroid storm. We reported series of patients that presented with altered sensorium, cough, fever, palpitation, shortness of breath and shock. Patient were treated initially for septic shock, later diagnosed as thyroid storm and was treated with oral carbimazole, propanolol and digoxin. From this, we want to emphasize that thyroid storm can have any presentation that should be kept in differential diagnosis of septic shock not responding to usual treatment; early diagnosis and treatment with oral medication can decrease morbidity and mortality in rural setting where intravenous form of antithyroid drug are not available for thyroid storm. Keywords: sepsis; septic shock; thyroid storm.

Presentations and Outcomes of Thyroid Storm.

The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics and outcome of thyroid storm patients presenting at two tertiary care centres of Karachi, i.e. at Dow University of Health Sciences; and Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, from December 2018 to May 2019. All patients between 18-70 years of age, who were admitted with thyroid storm and fulfilled the Burch- Wartofsky criteria, were inducted. Demographics including age, gender, clinical presentations, systemic symptoms, clinical examination of the thyroid and laboratory findings were reviewed from the file records to identify factors associated with mortality using the available data. Overall, five (62.5%) out of eight patients were female. The mean age was 43 ±1.67 years. Infections were the most common comorbid condition followed by cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. The in-hospital mortality rate was 87.5% (n=07).