ABSTRACT
Endocrine glands are distinguished from exocrine glands because they secrete within the body (endo) rather than out of the body (exo). The hormones that they secrete pass via the circulation to produce an effect by acting on target organs. This chapter considers the hormones most relevant to anaesthetic practice: insulin, thyroid hormones, hormones of the adrenal cortex and medulla, and parathormone. Within this framework, other hormones and influences are also considered, since the body’s responses are always complex. Thus glucose metabolism during intensive care is influenced by such hormones as insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and thyroxine, as well as autonomic nerves and local factors in damaged tissues.
