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Causes
Any serious injury or illness, such as blood loss, heart failure, severe infection, burns, or breathing trouble, can result in shock.
Symptoms
Shock may produce these symptoms:
- Shallow breathing
- Rapid and weak pulse
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pale, gray-bluish, clammy skin
- Shivering and coldness in limbs
- Confusion
First Aid
Call 911 and say you have a medical emergency. People in shock need to go to a hospital emergency room as soon as possible. The following suggestions for action are things you can do until the ambulance arrives.
- Try to find the cause of shock and check for a medical alert tag or card. Make sure the person has an open airway and is breathing. If necessary, begin rescue breathing or CPR if you have been trained and certified.
- Stop any bleeding. Lay the person flat and raise the feet 8 to 12 inches, using any available materials for support. Do not raise feet if you think there may be head, neck, back, or leg injuries, or if the person is having trouble breathing. Do not put pillows under the person’s head.
- Give first aid for the illness or injury that caused the person to go into shock, if possible. Cover the person with a blanket or coat for warmth. Do not apply direct heat. If the person is drooling or vomits, turn the head to one side so fluids can drain. Check the person’s breathing and pulse until trained medical help arrives.
First Aid for Possible Spinal Injury
- Do not move a person who may have a neck or back injury. Keep the person in the same position unless he or she is in immediate danger. Cover the person with a coat or blanket to help keep warm. Do not apply direct heat.
- Try to find the cause of shock and check for a medical alert tag or card. Make sure the person has an open airway and is breathing. If necessary, begin rescue breathing or CPR if you have been trained and certified.
- If the person vomits or is drooling, protect the airway by rolling the person onto one side while carefully supporting the head and neck. Have others help to gently roll the person. Begin CPR if needed. Continue to check the person’s breathing and pulse until medical help arrives.
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