I?nvestigation of the patients etiology admitted to the emergency department with shock

İnvestigation of the patients? etiology admitted to the emergency department with shock Objective: In this study, we aimed to analyse the demographic features, etiology, the mortality rates and prognosis of the adult patients admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital and diagnosed shock. Materials and Metods: Patients, admitted to the emergency department of Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital over 18 years old and diagnosed shock during June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012 were included in the study. The demografic data, etiologic reason of shock, the ongoing diseases, prognosis in emergency department and hospitalization unit were recorded. Serum cortisol levels of the patients having no diagnosed shock reason or unresponsive to fluid or vasopressor treatment were assayed to search surrenal shock. The data were stasistically analysed with SPSS 15.0 statistical program. Results: Seventy patients who were diagnosed shock included in the study. Of the etiologic reasons septic shock was the most frequent (% 28,5) and hypovolemic shock was the second (% 21,5). The most frequent reason of septic shock was pulmonary infection with a rate of % 51,3. Malignency was the most common comorbidity of these patients with a rate of % 38,5. Sepsis or malignency had no statistically significiant effect of on mortality (p>0,05). We identified surrenal insufficiency % 59,0 of the patients studied cortisol level and % 18,6 of all patients as an etiologic reason of shock. Conclusion: Shock is a frequent clinical finding in the emergency practice. When there is no identified reason of shock or the patient is unresponsive to medical treatment, it should be considered surrenal insufficiency may cause shock and corticostreoid therapy should be initiated. Key words: Shock, surrenal, etiology