How do medical professionals deal with people who are in 'shock'?

Question

You know when you hear on the news that someone has been treated for 'shock' in hospital, what do the medical staff do? How is 'shock' treated?

Answer 1

Shock is usually due to low blood volume. It is treated by infusion IV fluids as a bolus (large quantiy over a short period of time).

Answer 2

It's important to differentiate psychological shock from physiological shock.

Psychological 'shock' is where someone gets a nasty surprise, or maybe even suffers a minor injury causing pain, and they feel 'overcome', maybe go a bit pale, sometimes even faint (this is called a vasovagal attack). All these people need is to sit down, be offered a sympathetic cup of tea and a blanket and they'll be fine.

Physiological shock is the inability of the body to deliver oxygen to the tissues. It can be caused by a number of things including loss of blood (hypovolaemic shock), a problem with the heart such as a heart attack (cardiogenic shock), a massive neurological, usually spinal, injury (neurogenic shock), a serious infection (septic shock) or poisoning (toxic shock). They all manifest in slightly different ways but all have low blood pressure and confused mental state in common.

The important thing is that if left untreated they result in death. First your kidneys shut down, then the heart and brain.

The good news is that if you're walking down the street you're unlikely to be asked to tell one kind from the other. Just remember, if you arrive at the scene of a car accident or shooting/stabbing, the victim is at risk of suffering physiological (hypovolaemic) shock, witnesses may just need to be sat down and given a cup of tea. The victim needs an ambulance.

The treatment of shock in hospital depends on the cause but usually involved fluids and a variety of other drugs.

Answer 3

It depends on the degree of the shock. There are pressure garments that can be fitted over the patient and blown up with air to help the return blood flow to the heart.

Usually a glucose drip is given to bring up the sugar level to help replace the energy the overtaxed heart is experiencing.

And sometimes it can be as basic as wrapping the person in a warm blanket and giving them sugared tea.

But shock is never a joke. If left untreated, it CAN kill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock

Answer 4

Shock can actually be quite serious. The main thing medical people do is try to calm them down. and make them feel comfortable.

Answer 5

your blood pressure drops, low blood volume due to pooling i believe and is a very dangerous condition, even with no injuries present the person can die very quickly if not treated as soon as. The first thing they do is get your pressure up and hook u up to iv drip to replace fluids that have been lost through leakage, i.e.salts and glucoses.

Answer 6

I went into shock after a car accident, and yes, they do elevate your legs and try to calm you down. I also got a sugar IV, which brings you back to earth... great stuff!

Answer 7

I went into shock when I broke my leg, they just gave me loads of oxygen, though I don't know if it helped- I was in shock!

Answer 8

I have no idea, but if it were me, I'd probably try and shock them out of it, or talk to them really smooth and calmly to get them to calm down.

Nothing is more patronising then someone yelling at you "calm down".

Answer 9

Medication. They hook them up to an IV and give them this strong medication that makes them relax.

Answer 10

the doctor adds an extra $200 to youre bill.