Addison's disease
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Endocrinehigh priorityneeds review
Addison's disease
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Adrenal insufficiency from autoimmune destruction, pituitary issues, or abrupt steroid withdrawal.
- Low cortisol and often low aldosterone reduce stress response, blood pressure, sodium, and glucose.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | Replacement therapy for adrenal insufficiency. |
Nursing actions
- Assess hypotension, weakness, hyperpigmentation, nausea, and dehydration.
- Teach stress-dose steroid plan and medical alert identification.
- Treat adrenal crisis as emergency with fluids and steroids per protocol.
Complications
- Adrenal crisis
- Shock
- Hyponatremia
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypoglycemia
NCLEX cues
- Low BP, low sodium, high potassium.
- Abrupt steroid stop can cause crisis.
Memory hooks
- Addison needs added steroids and salt support.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.