Determining the utility of the 60 min cortisol measurement in the short synacthen test.

Objective: Despite the widespread use of the short synacthen test (SST), there remains no clear consensus on sampling times for the measurement of serum cortisol that best determines adrenal reserve. We set out to establish whether there is any value in measuring serum cortisol at 60 min following administration of synacthen.

Design: Retrospective data analysis of 500 SST results measuring 0, 30 and 60 min cortisol levels after administration of 250 μg of synacthen at 2 large urban National Health Teaching Hospitals in the UK.