Overview
Introduction
Addison disease is chronic primary adrenal insufficiency — destruction of the adrenal cortex itself, causing deficiency of both cortisol and aldosterone.
Addison disease is chronic primary adrenal insufficiency — destruction of the adrenal cortex itself, causing deficiency of both cortisol and aldosterone. It matters to nursing for two reasons. Its early symptoms — fatigue, weight loss, nausea, dizziness — are vague and easily attributed to something else, so recognition is a nursing skill. And a patient who is stable on replacement can decompensate into adrenal crisis within hours under physiological stress, so prevention and teaching are as important as recognition. This lesson follows the patient from chronic disease recognition through prevention and the immediate response required when adrenal crisis is suspected.