Early detection and management of pituitary dysfunction reduces the morbidity that ensues as a consequence of missed or delayed diagnosis of this condition, and which may result in life-threatening events and increased mortality. The investigators study will explore the use of reflex strategies within the laboratory in capturing suspicious pituitary function test results from Primary Care patients and following these up with appropriate reflective testing. Subsequently patients identified from these results to have a possible underlying piuitary dysfunction will have an alert sent to their family physician prompting referral to the Endocrine team for further investigation and management.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Blood tests for pituitary function (one or more of the following tests: cortisol, LH, FSH, TSH, FT4, testosterone, prolactin) will be added to samples from patients identified as being at high risk from their initial blood results.
Patients identified as being highly likely to have a pituitary dysfunction from the results of the blood tests for pituitary function added, will be referred to the Endocrine team for further tests in the form of dynamic function tests and pituitary imaging.
Number of patients found to have biochemical evidence of possible pituitary dysfunction
Time frame: One year
Number of patients from primary outcome found to have true pituitary dysfunction
Time frame: 6- 12 months
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