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Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the patients with adrenal insufficiency, versus control group

From: Predictive factors of adrenal insufficiency in patients admitted to acute medical wards: a case control study

 

All

No adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency

P value

Number of patients

281

249

32

 

Women

132 (47.0)

113 (45.4)

19 (59.4)

0.19

Age (mean)

67 ± 16

68 ± 16

63 ± 15

0.10

Symptoms

    

 Abdominal pain

35 (12.5)

30 (12.1)

5 (15.6)

0.57

 Hypotension symptoms

12 (4.3)

12 (4.8)

0 (0.0)

0.37

 Fatigue

48 (17.1)

40 (16.1)

8 (25.0)

0.31

 Glucocorticoid withdrawal

53 (18.9)

36 (14.5)

17 (53.1)

<0.001

 Nausea

21 (7.5)

16 (6.4)

5 (15.6)

0.07

 Generalized weakness

40 (14.2)

33 (13.3)

7 (21.9)

0.19

Signs

    

 Eosinophilia

2 (0.7)

1 (0.4)

1 (3.1)

0.22

 Low blood pressure

141 (50.2)

125 (50.2)

16 (50.0)

0.87

 Vitiligo

2 (0.7)

1 (0.4)

1 (3.1)

0.22

Biological markers

    

 Acidosis

7 (2.5)

7 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

1.00

 Hypercalcaemia

10 (3.6)

10 (4.0)

0 (0.0)

0.61

 Hyperkaliemia

35 (12.5)

28 (11.2)

7 (21.9)

0.09

 Hyponatremia

87 (31.0)

80 (32.1)

7 (21.9)

0.31

  1. Definitions: low blood pressure (<100 mmHg systolic and/or <50 mmHg diastolic blood pressure), vitiligo and/or skin changes. Biological markers collected were: hyperkalemia (>5 mmol/l), hyponatremia (<135 mmol/l), acidosis (pH <7.35), hypercalcaemia (total and ionized, corrected calcium >2.5 mmol/l) and eosinophilia (>0.5 G/l). Results are expressed as number of patients and (percentage). Statistical analysis performed using chi-square or Fischer’s exact test.