Cushing syndrome causes excess cortisol, leading to moon-shaped face, buffalo hump, and truncal obesity. Low white blood cells increase infection risk, so patients need strict hand hygiene and limited sick-person exposure. Constant cortisol also damages the GI tract and can cause bleeding.
Here are some key critical thinking points to know for Cushing's Syndrome so Cushing Syndrome is when the body has too much cortisol. This can be because of an overproduction of cortisol or too much intake of cortisol. What you'll see is a moon shape face, buffalo hump trunk, obesity and excessive body hair. The NCLEX loves to test on those and then weight gain, increased glucose level, and down here, decreased white blood cells and infections. So what you'll want to watch for and educate the patient on is infections, proper hand hygiene, hand washing, preparing and storing food properly, and limiting exposure to other people who are sick. Now a key point to know is that because of this constant excess of cortisol in the body, it really wears on the GI system and it can cause GI bleeds. You can find all these med surg flashcards inside the nursing SOS shop.
