Serum and salivary cortisol in the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency and as a predictor of the outcome in patients with severe sepsis.

Objectives: To compare salivary with serum total cortisol in patients with severe sepsis, postoperative patients and healthy controls.

Materials And Methods: Serum total cortisol was determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay; salivary cortisol was determined by enzyme immunoassay.

Results: In patients with severe sepsis, median concentration of salivary cortisol was 14.