Endocrine & metabolic · UKMLA & AKT
Hyperthermia and hypothermia
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
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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