Emergencies >>>> Traumatic shock - signs and first aid

Traumatic shock - signs and first aid.

Traumatic shock is a pathological condition that develops in severe injuries (fractures, compression, burns, ruptures of tissues and internal organs, large blood loss, during surgery). The main causes of traumatic shock are severe pain and great loss of blood or plasma. In everyday life, another name for this condition is used, which more accurately reflects the essence of traumatic shock - "pain shock". For the development of traumatic shock, the rate at which blood loss occurs is important, due to the fact that the body does not have time to rebuild at a high rate of blood loss (plasma loss), does not activate compensatory mechanisms, which leads to the development of a shock state.

What happens when traumatic shock develops:

At a high rate of blood loss, the volume of circulating blood decreases, which leads to a drop in blood pressure, which in turn causes insufficient blood supply to the body tissues with substances and oxygen that are important for maintaining vital functions. The next stage of blood loss is metabolic acidosis tissues and intoxication of the body. The body, in order to compensate for blood loss, injects vasoconstrictor substances (cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine) into the blood, which causes a spasm of peripheral blood vessels (hence the cooling of the extremities, pallor of the skin). The blood circulation goes into emergency mode: it mainly supplies the brain, heart and lungs, and the rest of the internal organs are limited in blood supply. Such an imbalance in blood circulation disrupts the activity of the kidneys (can cause anuria), disrupts the activity of the adrenal glands, which are precisely responsible for the release of vasoconstrictor substances to maintain blood pressure. The drop in pressure continues, decreasing cardiac output, and the pulse drops. There is a danger of agony and death.

The most striking signs of traumatic shock are manifested in the initial stage of its development by a strong pain syndrome, in which a person can scream, moan, cry, rush from side to side. There is trembling in the limbs, muscle weakness and coldness of the skin and limbs. Cold sticky sweat appears, pupils dilate, breathing quickens, tachycardia develops.

In the second phase of traumatic shock, the victim stops screaming (crying, moaning, behaving agitatedly), reacts sluggishly to surrounding events, falls into a drowsy state, and may lose consciousness. Outwardly, it looks apathetic with a dull look, can emit faint moans. Blood pressure decreases, cyanosis of the lips, mucous membranes and skin develops (cyanosis of the fingers and toes), thirst appears, the skin becomes cold, sweating disappears due to an acute lack of fluid in the body.

First aid for traumatic shock consists in stopping bleeding (visible) and relieving pain. The victim must be covered with warm clothes so as not to cause hypothermia of the body. If the injury or trauma is not visually visible, it is better to relieve the pain syndrome with injectable painkillers. In case of visible injury, any pain relievers (pills and injections) will do. The main measures for getting out of the state of shock are carried out by specially trained medical personnel.