# In Shock



## NappyRootz (Oct 13, 2008)

How do you treat people who are in shock?


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## tortminder (Oct 15, 2008)

*Shock treatment*



NappyRootz said:


> How do you treat people who are in shock?


-Keep the victim warm, (make sure that there is something like a ground cloth under them, blanket over them).

-keep the feet slightly elevated, (a pillow or rolled up blanket under the feet and lower legs).

-keep the victim quiet and calm.

- If the victim is conscious and coherent offer sips of water or warm, (not hot) soup.

-get professional medical assistance.


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## Therese (Oct 21, 2008)

*Treatment of shock*

No matter what type of shock the patient is experiencing, you must treat the underlying cause of the shock. Hypovolemic shock is due to a loss of circulating volume usually due to loss of blood, but it could be from severe dehydration. You must replace the volume. If a person is experiencing symptoms of shock (decreased level of conscious, tachycardia followed by bradycardia, hypotension, rapid respirations followed by slow and decreased respirations) you are into the compensatory stage and the person must be brought to the hospital. Unless you can insert an iv at home and hang a normal saline bag. Not everyone has these at home. The persons's level of conscious goes downhill quickly and they may not be able to drink enough fluid to compensate. Not only that, but the gut reacts very poorly to shock.

If the person has cardiogenic shock, the ventricles are not pumping the blood out of the heart into circulation, hence the trip to the ER.

If the person has neurogenic shock, they have a spinal cord injury and the paralysis is preventing the blood from being sent back from extremities. There are special compression boots that will "milk" the blood back up the veins into the heart, but again, not everyone has these at home.

If a person has septic shock, you must treat the underlying infection.

Shock when left untreated will lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and the organ systems will begin to fail. The respiratory system is the first to go. After that, everything else cascades.

Shock is really not something you can treat at home, unless you are a medical professional.

Me-I'm perfectly comfortable sticking an iv catheter into my husband and hooking him up to an iv bag right here in the living room (I'm not sure he wants me to practice on him though)

Hopes this helps. I know I'm the bearer of doom news on this one.


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