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• Summary
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

Shock happens when not enough blood and oxygen can get to your organs and tissues. It causes very low blood pressure and may be life-threatening. It often happens along with a serious injury.

There are several kinds of shock. Hypovolemic shock happens when you lose a lot of blood or fluids. Causes include internal or external bleeding, dehydration, burns, and severe vomiting and/or diarrhea. Septic shock is caused by infections in the bloodstream. A severe allergic reaction can cause anaphylactic shock. An insect bite or sting might cause it. Cardiogenic shock happens when the heart cannot pump blood effectively. This may happen after a heart attack. Neurogenic shock is caused by damage to the nervous system.

Symptoms of shock include:

• Confusion or lack of alertness
• Loss of consciousness
• Sudden and ongoing rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Pale skin
• A weak pulse
• Rapid breathing
• Decreased or no urine output
• Cool hands and feet

Shock is a life-threatening medical emergency and it is important to get help right away. Treatment of shock depends on the cause.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Diagnosis and Tests

• Lactate Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Procalcitonin Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Anaphylaxis: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Shock (American College of Emergency Physicians)
• Shock: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Anaphylaxis-Like Reactions (National Jewish Health)
• Toxic Shock Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Specifics

• Anaphylaxis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Sepsis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• What Is Cardiogenic Shock? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Shock (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Shock, Septic (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Sublingual microcirculatory assessment on admission independently predicts the outcome of old...
• Article: Simulating the methodological bias in the ATLS classification of hypovolemic shock:...
• Article: The use of peripheral vasopressors and its implications for hospital medicine.
• Shock -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American College of Emergency Physicians

Children

• Anaphylaxis in Infants and Children (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Serious Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Toxic Shock Syndrome (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Anaphylaxis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cardiogenic shock (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hypovolemic shock (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Septic shock (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Shock (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish