Thyroid Storm in the Emergency Department
Correspondence should be addressed C. Eric McCoy, MD, MPH at cmccoy@uci.edu
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21980/J8234R
ABSTRACT:
Audience:
Emergency medicine residents of all levels, and emergency medicine medical students.
Introduction:
Thyroid storm represents the extreme manifestation of thyrotoxicosis.1 It ranks as one of the most critical illnesses in the spectrum of endocrine emergencies.1 Recognition and appropriate management of life-threatening thyrotoxicosis is vital to prevent the high morbidity and mortality that may accompany this disorder. The incidence of thyroid storm has been noted to be less than 10% of patients hospitalized for thyrotoxicosis; however, the mortality rate due to thyroid storm ranges from 20%-30%.1 This simulation case allows the trainee to practice important critical decision-making skills in the evaluation and management of a patient presenting with thyroid storm.
Objectives:
By the end of this simulation-based session, the learner will be able to: 1) Recognize the signs and symptoms of thyroid storm and appropriately diagnose a patient with thyroid storm. 2) Choose appropriate medications for the treatment of thyroid storm. 3) Determine the appropriate disposition for a patient presenting in thyroid storm. 4) Discuss the rationale behind each drug used to treat thyroid storm. 5) List at least three precipitants of thyroid storm.
Method:
This case can be run as a low, medium, or high-fidelity simulation.
Topics:
Thyroid storm, thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism, endocrine emergencies.
