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Hypovolemic shock

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Shock - hypovolemic

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. Stabilize the head and neck before moving a person with a suspected spinal injury.

The goal of hospital treatment is to replace blood and fluids. An intravenous (IV) line will be put into the persons arm to allow blood or blood products to be given.

Medicines such as dopamine , dobutamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine may be needed to increase blood pressure and the amount of blood pumped out of the heart (cardiac output).

Other methods that may be used to manage shock include:

• Cardiac monitoring, including Swan-Ganz cathertization
• Urinary catheter to collect and monitor how much urine is produced

Expectations (prognosis):

Hypovolemic shock is always a medical emergency, but there is wide variation in both symptoms and outcomes depending upon the amount of blood volume lost, the rate of loss, the underlying illness or injury causing the loss, and other factors.

In general, patients with milder degrees of shock tend to do better than those with more severe shock. However, in cases of severe hypovolemic shock, death is possible even with immediate medical attention. The elderly are at increased risk of having poor outcomes from shock.

Complications:

• Kidney damage
• Brain damage

Calling your health care provider:

Hypovolemic shock is a medical emergency! Call the local emergency number (such as 911) or take the person to the emergency room.

• Review Date: 7/18/2006
• Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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