Clinical Features and Hospital Outcomes in Thyroid Storm: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Context: Thyroid storm (TS) is a rare but life-threatening manifestation of thyrotoxicosis. Predictive features and outcomes remain incompletely understood, in part because studies comparing TS with hospitalized thyrotoxic patients have rarely been performed. Objectives: Our objectives were to compare the diagnosis and outcomes in TS versus hospitalized compensated thyrotoxic (CT) patients and to assess differences in diagnostic classification using the Burch-Wartofsky scores (BWSs) or Akamizu (Ak) criteria for identifying TS. Design, Setting, and Patients: This was a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients during a 6-year period at an academic tertiary hospital, with age ≥18 years, TSH <0.01 mIU/L, and clinically diagnosed TS or CT. Outcome Measures: In-patient mortality, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, intubation, and ventilator duration were assessed. Results: Twenty-five TS and 125 CT patients were identified and analyzed. All but 1 TS patient received thionamides, β-block...