Endocrine & metabolic · UKMLA & AKT
Hyperthermia and hypothermia
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise hyperthermia and hypothermia — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Common TFT pattern in critically ill patients (sepsis, burns, major surgery, severe pneumonia) - not true hypothyroidism.
- Low T3 - peripheral conversion of T4 → T3 inhibited (↓ deiodinase activity)
- Low T4 - reduced binding proteins
- Normal or low TSH - central suppression by cytokines
- Believed to be an adaptive hypometabolic response to critical illness
Do NOT treat with levothyroxine - treatment does not improve outcomes. NTIS is not true hypothyroidism.
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