THE ENDOCRINE RESPONSE TO CRITICAL ILLNESS

Since the maintenance of homeostasis is the main function of the endocrine system, it is not surprising that numerous alterations in hormone secretion and action occur during physiologic stress. In general, the endocrine response to stress is paradigmatic and correlates with the severity of illness. However, individuals may differ in their pattern of hormonal changes. The challenge to clinicians is to determine whether seemingly abnormal hormone measurements in critically ill patients reflect an appropriate response to severe illness or whether they signal a metabolic disorder that causes or contributes to the patient's unstable status.