Perioperative Glucocorticoid Therapy for Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency: Dosing Based on Pharmacokinetic Data

Perioperative Evaluation and Management of Patients on Glucocorticoids

Myriad questions regarding perioperative management of patients on glucocorticoids (GCs) continue to be debated including which patients are at risk for adrenal insufficiency (AI), what is the correct dose and duration of supplemental GCs, or are they necessary for everyone? These questions remain partly unanswered due to the heterogeneity and low quality of data, studies with small sample sizes, and the limited number of randomized trials. To date, we know that although all routes of GC administration can result in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression, perioperative adrenal crisis is rare. Correlation between biochemical testing for AI and clinical events is lacking. Some of the current perioperative management recommendations based on daily GC dose and duration of therapy may be difficult to follow in clinical practice. The prospective and retrospective studies consistently report that continuing the daily dose of GCs perioperatively is not associated with a higher risk for adrenal crises in patients with GC-induced AI. Considering that oral GC intake may be unreliable in the early postoperative period, providing the daily GC plus a short course of IV hydrocortisone 25 to 100 mg per day based on the degree of surgical stress seems reasonable. In patients who have stopped GC therapy before surgery, careful assessment of the HPA axis is necessary to avoid an adrenal crisis. In conclusion, our literature review indicates that lower doses and shorter duration of supplemental GCs perioperatively are sufficient to maintain homeostasis. We emphasize the need for well-designed randomized studies on this frequently encountered clinical scenario.

Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (2021 revision)

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a category of disorders characterized by impaired adrenocortical steroidogenesis. The most frequent disorder of congenital adrenal hyperplasia is 21-hydroxylase deficiency, which is caused by pathogenic variants of CAY21A2 and is prevalent between 1 in 18,000 and 20,000 in Japan. The clinical guidelines for 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Japan have been revised twice since a diagnostic handbook in Japan was published in 1989. On behalf of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology, the Japanese Society for Mass Screening, the Japanese Society for Urology, and the Japan Endocrine Society, the working committee updated the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of 21-hydroxylase deficiency published in 2014, based on recent evidence and knowledge related to this disorder. The recommendations in the updated guidelines can be applied in clinical practice considering the risks and benefits to each patient.

Prevention of Adrenal Crisis: Cortisol Responses to Major Stress Compared to Stress Dose Hydrocortisone Delivery

CONTEXT

Patients with adrenal insufficiency require increased hydrocortisone cover during major stress to avoid a life-threatening adrenal crisis. However, current treatment recommendations are not evidence-based.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the most appropriate mode of hydrocortisone delivery in patients with adrenal insufficiency who are exposed to major stress.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional study: 122 unstressed healthy subjects and 288 subjects exposed to different stressors (major trauma [N = 83], sepsis [N = 100], and combat stress [N = 105]). Longitudinal study: 22 patients with preserved adrenal function undergoing elective surgery. Pharmacokinetic study: 10 patients with primary adrenal insufficiency undergoing administration of 200 mg hydrocortisone over 24 hours in 4 different delivery modes (continuous intravenous infusion; 6-hourly oral, intramuscular or intravenous bolus administration).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

We measured total serum cortisol and cortisone, free serum cortisol, and urinary glucocorticoid metabolite excretion by mass spectrometry. Linear pharmacokinetic modeling was used to determine the most appropriate mode and dose of hydrocortisone administration in patients with adrenal insufficiency exposed to major stress.

RESULTS

Serum cortisol was increased in all stress conditions, with the highest values observed in surgery and sepsis. Continuous intravenous hydrocortisone was the only administration mode persistently achieving median cortisol concentrations in the range observed during major stress. Linear pharmacokinetic modeling identified continuous intravenous infusion of 200 mg hydrocortisone over 24 hours, preceded by an initial bolus of 50-100 mg hydrocortisone, as best suited for maintaining cortisol concentrations in the required range.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous intravenous hydrocortisone infusion should be favored over intermittent bolus administration in the prevention and treatment of adrenal crisis during major stress.