Shock

Shock is a medical emergency in which insufficient blood flow reaches the tissues of the body because of a problem with the circulatory system, producing early warning signs such as weakness, a fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, anxiety, and increased thirst, and progressing, if untreated, to confusion, unconsciousness, or cardiac arrest. It is grouped into four main types by underlying cause: hypovolemic shock, from a drop in blood volume such as bleeding, diarrhea, or vomiting; cardiogenic shock, from a failing heart such as after a heart attack; obstructive shock, from a physical blockage of blood flow such as cardiac tamponade or tension pneumothorax; and distributive shock, from abnormal blood vessel dilation, as in sepsis, severe allergic reaction, or spinal cord injury. Diagnosis rests on the pattern of symptoms, physical examination, and laboratory testing, and treatment focuses on treating the underlying cause while keeping the airway open, giving intravenous fluids, and using medications to raise blood pressure when needed. It affects an estimated 1.2 million Americans each year and carries substantial mortality that varies by type, from twenty to fifty percent overall, rising to thirty to eighty percent for septic shock and seventy to ninety percent for cardiogenic shock.