Perturbations of the clotting system frequently accompany systemic inflammatory states. Coagulation abnormalities, specifically an imbalance between coagulant and anticoagulant mechanisms, are a frequent occurrence in patients with septic shock and trauma and have been associated with an increased mortality.
Continue readingAcute and prolonged illness seems to result in a variety of different neuroendocrine alterations. During the acute phase of critical illness there is an actively secreting anterior pituitary gland and a peripheral resistance to anabolic hormones. In the chronic phase of critical illness there is a uniformly reduced secretion of anterior pituitary hormones, with the notable exception of cortisol.
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