Relative adrenal insufficiency after cardiac arrest: impact on postresuscitation disease outcome.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study is to prospectively evaluate the cortisol response and determine the relative adrenal insufficiency after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study describing the prevalence of relative adrenal insufficiency in consecutive patients admitted to an intensive care unit following ROSC (>24 hours) after cardiac arrest. The study institution is a 1,300-bed urban hospital with an annual intensive care unit census of 80.