Hypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This type of shock can cause many organs to stop working.
Alternative Names
Shock - hypovolemic
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Losing about 1/5 or more of the normal amount of blood in your body causes hypovolemic shock.
Blood loss can be due to bleeding from cuts or other injury or internal bleeding such as gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The amount of blood in your body may drop when you lose too many other body fluids, which can happen with diarrhea, vomiting, burns, and other conditions.
The greater and more rapid the blood loss, the more severe the shock symptoms.
Right heart (Swan-Ganz) catheterization -- can help tell the difference between hypovolemic and another type of shock called cardiogenic shock
Treatment
Get immediate medical help. In the meantime, follow these steps:
Keep the person comfortable and warm (to avoid hypothermia).
Have the person lie flat with the feet lifted up about 12 inches to increase circulation. However, if the person has from a head, neck, back, or leg injury, leave him or her in the position in which they were found unless doing so poses other immediate danger.
Do not give fluids by mouth.
If person is having an allergic reaction, treat the allergic reaction, if you know how.
If the person must be carried, try to keep him or her flat, with the head down and feet lifted up.
Bleeding disorders(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions involving the body's blood clotting process. Such disorders can lead to heavy and prolonged bleeding after an injury. Reviewer: Mark Levin, M.D., Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 03/13/2007
Cholera (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It¿causes a large amount of¿watery diarrhea. Reviewer: Arnold L. Lentnek, MD, Division of Infectious Disease, Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/16/2007
Dehydration (1 image)
Average Rating:
(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both. Vomiting and diarrhea are common causes. Infants and children are more susceptible to dehydration than adults because of their smaller body weights and higher turnover of water and electrolytes. The elderly and those with illnesses are also at higher risk. Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body's fluid is lost or not replenished. When severe, dehydration is a life-threatening emergency. Reviewer: Deirdre OReilly, MD, MPH, Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 09/28/2007
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