NCLEX® LPN Question of the Day: Adrenal insufficiency

In This Article

Today’s NCLEX® LPN question of the day focuses on educating a patient about adrenal insufficiency. Do you know the answer? Let’s find out!

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency. Which statement by the healthcare provider requires clarification?

A. “This patient may not produce enough sex hormones.”

B. “This patient produces an insufficient amount of cortisol.”

C. “This patient may suffer from a “moon face” and “buffalo hump.”

D. “This patient may have an abnormal response to physiologic stress.”

Scroll down for the correct answer!

The correct answer to today’s NCLEX-PN® Question is…

C. “This patient may suffer from a “moon face” and “buffalo hump.”

Rationale: “Moon face” and “buffalo hump” are characteristic manifestations associated with excessive release of adrenal hormones, like cortisol. These findings are not associated with adrenal insufficiency; so the nurse should ask for clarification.

Main Takeaway

Adrenal insufficiency is an endocrine disorder that happens when the adrenal gland does not produce enough hormones, particularly mineralocorticoids like aldosterone, glucocorticoids like cortisol, and androgens like testosterone. This condition can be classified as primary or secondary. It is called primary when the underlying problem is localized to the adrenal gland itself, which can develop either acutely or chronically, and the chronic form is also known as Addison disease. Secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs when inadequate adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from the pituitary gland results in decreased cortisol production by the adrenal glands. Common manifestations of adrenal insufficiency include fatigue, weakness, weight loss, hypotension, and an impaired response to physiologic stress.

Incorrect Answer Explanations

A. “This patient may not produce enough sex hormones.”

Rationale: Androgens are sex hormones produced by the adrenal cortex. Patients with adrenal insufficiency may have decreased adrenal androgen production, although this is not usually the most significant hormonal deficiency associated with the disorder.

B. “This patient produces an insufficient amount of cortisol.”

Rationale: Cortisol is a glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal cortex that plays important roles in metabolism, immune function, and the physiologic response to stress, so it’s sometimes referred to as the “stress” hormone. Patients diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency produce insufficient amounts of cortisol.

D. “This patient may have an abnormal response to physiologic stress.”

Rationale: Patients with adrenal insufficiency produce insufficient amounts of cortisol, which plays a key role in the body’s response to physiologic stress. As a result, they may have an impaired response to illness, injury, or other stressors.

Rationale: ARDS is not characterized by overinflation of the lungs. Overinflation of the lungs results from other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).