Table 5.

Mean serum cortisol concentrations in 40 consecutive patients admitted for treatment to the Veract Intractable Pain Clinic

Patient no.	Serum cortisol concentration (μg/dL)	Patient no.	Serum cortisol concentration (μg/dL)	Patient no.	Serum cortisol concentration (μg/dL)	Patient no.	Serum cortisol concentration (μg/dL)
1	1.1	11	28.9	21	6.2	31	4.7
2	4.9	12	11.6	22	4.0	32	16.2
3	2.2	13	24.1	23	4.3	33	4.3
4	2.2	14	3.9	24	30.1	34	29.8
5	13.0	15	28.9	25	1.3	35	22.7
6	28.5	16	32.5	26	16.1	36	25.8
7a	0.6	17	29.0	27	18.5	37	18.7
8	4.3	18	27.3	28	9.6	38	9.0
9	3.7	19	19.2	29	3.4	39	21.8
10	5.0	20	8.6	30	10.8	40	19.8

Patients were referred, undertreated and claimed their pain to be disabling and constant. Note that levels were above and below the normal range, indicating uncontrolled pain. Overall mean (standard deviation, SD) cortisol level among the 40 patients: 13.9 μg/dL (10.3). Mean (SD) cortisol level among those (n = 12) with high (>20 μg/dL) concentration: 27.5 μg/dL (10.8). Mean (SD) cortisol level among those (n = 14) with low (<5 μg/dL) concentration: 3.2 μg/dL (1.4)

^aPatient had such a low level that adrenal failure and death could occur without immediate hydrocortisone replacement