Articles: ninos.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health issue among veterans and poses a substantial risk for pituitary injury. Consensus guidelines recommend that patients who have sustained a TBI should undergo a baseline pituitary hormonal evaluation after the primary brain insult. Patients with abnormal screening test results or with symptoms of hypopituitarism should be referred to endocrinology for a full assessment. Currently, there are no reported data on the screening rates of hypopituitarism in veterans with TBI. This pilot study was conducted to determine the frequency of screening for hypopituitarism in veterans with TBI in a primary care clinic setting. ⋯ We report that the screening rate for hypopituitarism in TBI patients is exceedingly low in the primary care setting, even with the less rigorous newer screening recommendations. Measures should be taken to improve screening of hypopituitarism to decrease morbidity and improve the quality of life in patients with a history of TBI.