Shock occurs when the vital organs, such as the brain and heart, do not receive enough oxygen due to a problem with the circulatory system.
Causes
The most common cause of shock is blood loss, but this can occur in several different forms. Blood loss can range from obvious external bleeding to internal bleeding caused by a fall, or a medical condition, to a fracture which has ruptured blood vessels.
It can also be caused by other fluid loss such as vomitting or diarrhoea, or through severe burns.
And heart problems which have caused some damage to the way in which the organ functions, such as a heart attack or angina, can also lead to shock as the heart is unable to pump enough oxygenated blood to the body.
Dangers of Shock
If shock is not treated quickly by medical professionals the casualty will become restless and possibly aggressive, start yawning and gasping for air, and could lose consciousness.
If he or she still receives no medical attention their heart will eventually stop and they will die.
Recognition Features of Shock
A casualty suffering from shock may have any or all of these signs and symptoms:
Their skin may be pale, cold and clammy skin. It could even become blue or grey in severe cases, and lips especially may appear blue.
- They may be sweating.
- They could feel weakness and dizzy.
- They may complain of feeling very cold and be shivering.
- They may feeling sick and possibly be sick.
- They could feel thirsty.
- Their breathing may become rapid and shallow.
Treatment
If possible the cause of the shock should be treated to prevent it from becoming worse, for example by stopping serious bleeding, and the casualty should be taken to hospital as quickly as possible.
Although the casualty may complain of being thirsty do not give them anything to drink as this may cause hospital treatment to be delayed. If the casualty keeps complaining of being thirsty you can wet their lips with water.
As a first aider there is nothing you can do to cure the shock, as the casualty may well need fluid replacement and the cause of the shock will most likely need hospital treatment in order to prevent the shock from becoming worse.
In all cases of serious injury, including but not limited to fractures and serious bleeding, the casualty should be treated for shock as a precaution.
All advice given in this article is as recommended by St John Ambulance in the UK. First aid advice in other countries may differ.
This article should be treated as a guide but is not a substitute for going on a first aid course.
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