This issue of Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America aims to become the first compilation of interest to both the Endocrinologist and Critical Care specialist by compiling the latest findings into one volume. Split in to two major areas, this volume covers life-threatening illnesses caused by primary endocrine diseases and examines endocrinology from the ICU perspective. First section deals with classic life-threatening illnesses, such as: thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, pheochromocytoma, severe hyper- end hypoglycemia, acute adrenal crises.Second section goes in to more in-depth coverage of these endocrine diseases from the needs of the ICU, starting with a general overview of the dynamic neuroendocrine and metabolic stress responses in the condition of intensive care-dependent, non-endocrine critical illness.Alterations within several of the endocrine axes briefly touched upon in the overview chapter are then further discussed in detail in the following chapters: critical illness induced alterations within the growth hormone axis, the thyroid axis and the pituitary adrenal axis, changes in catecholamines, glucose control and salt and water metabolism.