The CRUNCH study version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cortisol Response to acute, febrile illness in children and young people
IRAS ID
358020
Contact name
Joanne Blair
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cortisol is a hormone that has an essential role in maintaining good health. We release a small amount of cortisol during periods of good health, and higher amounts of cortisol during periods of ill health or injury to help recovery.
Some people cannot produce enough cortisol, and they take a medicine form of cortisol called hydrocortisone every day. When they are ill or injured, they take higher 'sick day' doses of hydrocortisone.
Current guidelines for the types of illness that need to be treated with sick day doses, and the doses of hydrocortisone that should be prescribed, are based on experts' advice because no one has described what types of illness trigger an increase in cortisol release in healthy children, and how much cortisol is released. This means that sick day doses could be too high or too low or recommended when they are not required. If the dose is too low, patients could experience a life-threatening condition, ‘adrenal crisis’. If the dose is too high, or given more often than required, high levels of cortisol may contribute to the development of heart and bone disease over a patient’s lifetime.
In this study, we will learn how much cortisol children without adrenal insufficiency release when they are sick. To do this, we will invite children and young people to collect five saliva samples while they are unwell with a mild / moderate illness, and four when they have recovered fully. Saliva samples can be collected while they are in hospital or at home and posted to Alder Hey in a stamped addressed envelope. We will compare the cortisol levels measured during ill health and good health to determine whether sick day doses are required during these episodes, and how much hydrocortisone should be prescribed.REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
25/WS/0125
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion