Cushing's syndrome
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Endocrinemedium priorityneeds review
Cushing's syndrome
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Excess cortisol from steroids, adrenal disease, or pituitary ACTH excess.
- High cortisol causes catabolism, hyperglycemia, infection risk, and fluid/BP changes.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | Medication-induced Cushing context; tapering must be supervised. |
Nursing actions
- Assess glucose, blood pressure, infection signs, skin integrity, and muscle weakness.
- Teach steroid taper safety if caused by exogenous steroids.
- Use infection prevention and fall precautions.
Complications
- Infection
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypertension
- Osteoporosis
- Poor wound healing
NCLEX cues
- Moon face, truncal obesity, thin skin, striae.
- Do not stop steroids abruptly.
Memory hooks
- Cushing has too much cortisol: sugar, pressure, infection.
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.