Shock in Trauma

Caroline Leech; Jake Turner

doi:10.1016/j.emc.2022.09.007

Shock in Trauma

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2023 Feb;41(1):1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2022.09.007.

Authors

Caroline Leech¹, Jake Turner²

Affiliations

¹ University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK; The Air Ambulance Service, Blue Skies House, Butlers Leap, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3RQ. UK. Electronic address: Caroline.Leech@uhcw.nhs.uk.
² The Air Ambulance Service, Blue Skies House, Butlers Leap, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3RQ. UK; Anaesthetic Department, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Headquarters, HEMS Way, Lincoln LN4 2GW, UK.

PMID: 36424034
DOI: 10.1016/j.emc.2022.09.007

Abstract

Shock is a life-threatening condition of circulatory failure leading to inadequate organ perfusion and tissue oxygenation. In a trauma patient, shock may be due to hypovolemia, cardiogenic, obstructive or distributive causes individually or in combination. The physiological response to major hemorrhage is dependent on a variety of autonomic reflexes, mechanism of injury, bleeding source, and baseline physiology of the patient. This article discusses the common causes of shock and the accompanying physiology, how clinical assessment can support the diagnosis and effective treatment of shock, and the common pitfalls in trauma patients.

Keywords: Hypovolemia; Physiology; Resuscitation; Shock; Trauma.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Hemorrhage / diagnosis
Hemorrhage / etiology
Hemorrhage / therapy
Humans
Shock* / diagnosis
Shock* / etiology
Shock* / therapy