Novel insights in the HPA-axis during critical illness KU Leuven
Critical illness is defined as any condition that requires support of failing vital organ functions, without which death would rapidly ensue. As such, it represents an extreme example of physical stress, where stress comprises the normal physical response of the human body that ariseswhen confronted with a threat. In healthy individuals, experiencing stress causes an immediate activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenalaxis, which ...