[Endocrine regulation in critically ill patients].

Disturbances of the hormonal regulation of critically ill patients are known since many years. In the last years, two topics received a lot of attention since a single intervention led to a mortality benefit: the intensive blood glucose control in surgical intensive care patients and the low dose hydrocortisone therapy in sepsis. These results were quickly incorporated in guidelines. However, large multi-center studies failed to support the initial results in several points. This review discusses these and other disturbances of endocrine regulation of critically ill patients.