Endocrine Abstracts

Based on insights obtained during the last decade, the classical concept of an activated hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis in response to critical illness is in need of revision. After a brief central HPA axis activation, the vital maintenance of increased systemic cortisol availability and action in response to critical illness is predominantly driven by peripheral adaptations rather than by an ongoing centrally-activated several-fold increased production and s...