ENDOCRINE DISORDERS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW

Abstract

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a hospital sector where serious patients with or without hemodynamic instability remain in need of 24-hour uninterrupted health care by a diverse team of health professionals. Several studies report that 13 to 25% of patients admitted to the ICU have a previous diagnosis of DM. Diabetics are occasionally admitted to the ICU for treatment of an acute process of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar state, however, many diabetics are admitted to these units for other comorbidities, such as infection. Objective: To describe the characteristics of patients with endocrine disorders admitted to the intensive care unit. Method: 330 texts were found, of which 218 were in the LILACS database and 112 in the SCIELO database. After previous reading, 35 texts were selected in LILACS database and 20 in SCIELO. An exploratory reading of the publications allowed to select 10 articles, 7 of the LILACS database and 3 of the SCIELO database. Outcome: Thus some observational studies and interventional studies suggest that intensive glycemic control may reduce mortality within intensive care units. Hyperglycemia is a common alteration in critically ill patients and the physiological response to trauma is attributed.