Health: Shock –A manageable emergency

Shock is a condition of sudden failure of circulation in the body, due to which the blood pressure suddenly falls below normal. It is a medical emergency and unless treated promptly can lead to death of an individual. This is because failure of circulation leads to the body cells being deprived of much needed oxygen, which is carried by the blood. It is from this condition that the term, “shock”, is applied to many kinds of emergency situations like emotional shock, economic shock, e.t.c. Though life threatening, it still can be managed very well with prompt first aid and treatment. Acute blood loss due to trauma, major surgeries, e.t.c. is one of the major causes for a person to go in shock. The affected person becomes restless, feels weak and dizzy. The skin becomes cold and clammy because the blood vessels contract to conserve the falling blood pressure, thus reducing the circulation to peripheral parts. The pulse becomes feeble and fast as the heart tries to pump blood more vigorously to overcome the failure. At this stage, it is totally reversible and the person can be revived. In severe cases, the person may become listless or even unconscious and there may be no perceptible pulse or blood pressure. This is a critical stage, in which the person may die in few minutes. Loss of fluids and electrolytes from the body as due to diarrhea and or vomiting is yet another common underlying cause for shock. Here along with other signs of shock, the affected person has a dry tongue and loss of skin elasticity due to dehydration. Certain conditions of the heart like a heart failure or myocardial infarction can lead to sudden cessation of the functioning of the heart, what is known as, “cardiogenic shock”. Septic shock is the type of shock which occurs in infectious conditions due to release of toxins by the causative germs. In this, the patient is hot when touched due to the associated high fever. Injury or some damage to the brain stem or spinal cord can also induce shock in an individual due to disturbances in the center for maintaining blood pressure and its connections. Diagnosis of shock and its underlying cause is technically made by medical personnel, but even others need to be aware of this condition. Thus if a person develops shock at home or in the work place, others can know it immediately and render first aid, which is very critical for the patient’s survival till he is taken to the hospital. First and foremost thing to be done immediately is to put the patient in a comfortable position. Any tight restricting clothing, shoes, socks, wrist watch, e.t.c. should be removed, immediately. Legs should be raised immediately. This helps to improve the blood pressure by augmenting the return of blood from veins of lower limb to right side of heart. During transportation, it is preferable to keep the person in a lateral position rather than supine. This prevents aspiration of saliva or fluids which can result in acute pneumonia and respiratory distress. If the person is dehydrated, he or she can be given sips of oral rehydration salts, till the time of reaching the hospital. If within one hour he receives about one liter of oral rehydration solution, it can be life saving. If the limbs feel cold the entire body can be wrapped in a blanket. This helps in conserving the lost heat of the body and also aids in circulation to some extent. Similarly in case of high fever associated with shock, first need is to bring the body temperature to near normal or normal, to prevent aggravation of shock and or brain damage. This can be achieved by covering the entire body of the person in wet sheet or towel. These are simple measures but can help save life of an individual, who has developed shock due to any of the known causes. E-mail –rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk