When someone’s body can’t produce enough cortisol, they may have a disease known as Addisonian crisis. Cortisol is produced through your adrenal glands. It is produced in reaction to the stress that the person feels. This cortisol is secreted in order to control the stress that the body is feeling. However, there may be times when a person’s body can’t secrete this and it may cause other issues.
Obviously, the most known way to stop this problem is to stop having stress, but sometimes people can’t help that. This also may affect their adrenal glands. In order to help a patient who suffers from Addisonian crisis, the nurse or doctor may prescribe or suggest the patient take potassium chloride because it will help.
Potassium chloride-rationale: the nurse should question an order for potassium chloride because addisonian crisis results in hyperkalemia. administering potassium chloride is contraindicated. because the client is hyponatremic, an order for normal saline solution is appropriate. hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone are used to replace deficient adrenal cortex hormones.client needs category: physiological integrityclient needs subcategory: pharmacological and parenteral therapiescognitive level: applicationreference: smeltzer, s.c., et al. brunner & suddarths textbook of medical surgical-nursing, 11th ed. philadelphia: lippincott williams & wilkins, 2008, p. 1478.