A 52-year-old male with Addison's disease is receiving discharge instructions related to disease management. During periods of stress, the patient should be instructed to:
Explanation
• During high levels of stress, a patient with Addison's disease requires additional glucocorticoid treatment because the body is unable to secrete adequate amounts of cortisol
• Water intake should be increased. However, the priority in this situation is the administration of hydrocortisone
• Potassium chloride should not be taken because the patient is already at risk for hyperkalemia
• Hypoglycemia may occur, but treating the condition would likely prevent this