Response to the high-dose corticotrophin stimulation test depends on plasma adrenocotropin hormone levels in septic shock.

Purpose: The use of the high-dose corticotrophin stimulation test (HDCST) as a guide to use low-dose steroid therapy in septic shock is controversial. The adrenocotropin hormone (ACTH) constitutes the immediate stimuli to produce cortisol. We evaluated the correlation of the response to the HDCST with plasma ACTH levels in patients with septic shock.