Steroid Card

Last Updated: Monday, 31 July 2023

All patients with primary adrenal insufficiency are steroid dependent and some patients, who take oral, inhaled or topical steroids for other medical conditions, may develop secondary adrenal insufficiency and become steroid dependent.

The omission of steroids for patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency can lead to adrenal crisis; a medical emergency which if left untreated can be fatal. If these patients become acutely ill or are subject to major body stressors, such as from trauma or surgery, they require higher doses of steroids to prevent an adrenal crisis.

While substantial resources exist, clinical staff are not always aware of the risk of adrenal crisis, or the correct clinical response should one occur.

Recently issued national guidance promotes a new patient-held Steroid Emergency Card to help healthcare staff identify patients with adrenal insufficiency and provide information on emergency treatment if the patient is acutely ill, experiences trauma, surgery or other major stressors.

The alert asks providers to ensure all eligible patients are issued with a Steroid Emergency Card; and to put processes in place to check if a patient has a Steroid Emergency Card ahead of any emergency treatment, elective surgery, or other invasive procedures.

You can view the new Emergency Steroid Card on the Society for Endocrinology’s Adrenal Crisis Information webpage.

You can download and print yourself here.

Full information can be found here.