Metabolic and Endocrine Emergencies

Staged by creatinine rise or urine output, classified as pre-renal, renal or post-renal

A memory aid for the stages of acute kidney injury and its causes.

Correct for albumin, then use the parathyroid hormone

A memory aid for correcting calcium and working out the cause of an abnormal result.

Neutropenic sepsis, tumour lysis, spinal cord compression and hypercalcaemia

A memory aid for the acute complications of cancer treatment.

Hypotension, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and hypoglycaemia

A memory aid for the features of adrenal insufficiency.

Fluid first, then fixed rate insulin, watching the potassium

A memory aid for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Insulin deficiency with counter-regulatory excess causes hyperglycaemia and ketogenesis

A memory aid for the mechanism of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Hyperkalaemia gives tall T waves and a wide QRS; hypokalaemia gives flat T waves and U waves

A memory aid for the cardiac effects of hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia.

Protect the heart, shift it in, then remove it

A mnemonic for the emergency treatment of a high potassium.

Stabilise the membrane, shift potassium into cells, then remove it from the body

A memory aid for the three-step approach to hyperkalaemia.

Extreme hyperglycaemia and dehydration without significant ketosis

A memory aid for contrasting HHS with diabetic ketoacidosis.

Neuromuscular irritability with tetany, Chvostek and Trousseau signs

A memory aid for the signs of low calcium.

Autonomic symptoms first, then neuroglycopenic

A memory aid for recognising and treating hypoglycaemia.

Check osmolality, then volume status, then urine sodium

A memory aid for the stepwise assessment of hyponatraemia.

Examine the gland, then the status, then the complications

A memory aid for assessing whether a patient is hyperthyroid or hypothyroid.