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hypovolemic shock

Shock resulting from loss of >20% of the circulating blood volume. Etiology: 1) hemorrhage 2) dehydration 3) hypoadrenal (Addisonian) crisis Pathology: 1) decreased central venous pressure (CVP) 2) low cardiac filling pressures 3) low cardiac output [3] 4) compensatory increase in systemic vascular resistance Clinical manifestations: - hypotension generally manifests when > 30% of blood volume is lost [4] - more sensitive indicators of impending shock include: - anxiety - tachypnea - weak peripheral pulse - cool extremities with pale or mottled skin Complications: - coagulopathy - hypercoagulable state with fibrinolysis shutdown - dilutional coagulopathy due to crystalloid infusion Management: 1) general strategies a) rapid volume expansion - intravenous (IV) fluids - colloid - blood products - prehospital plasma transfusion lowers mortality in unstable trauma patients transported by air [5] b) consider hemodynamic monitoring if coexisting medical problems - congestive heart failure - valvular heart disease - myocardial ischemia - renal insufficiency 2) specific strategies - correct coagulopathy & thrombocytopenia - correct electrolyte imbalances - endoscopy - interventional radiology - surgery - REBOA for pelvic or abdominal bleeding 3) avoid vasopressor use in hemorrhagic shock [2]

Specific

hypoadrenal (Addisonian) crisis; acute adrenal insufficiency

General

hypovolemia (extracellular volume depletion) shock

References

  1. Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 28th ed, Ewald & McKenzie (eds), Little, Brown & Co, Boston, 1995, pg 136
  2. Sperry JL et al, Early use of vasopressors after injury: Caution before constriction. J Trauma 2008, 64:9 PMID: 18188092
  3. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 14, 17. American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2006, 2015
  4. Rothaus C Hemorrhagic Shock NEJM Resident 360. Jan 24, 2018 https://resident360.nejm.org/content_items/hemorrhagic-shock
  5. Sperry JL, Guyette FX, Brown JBet al. Prehospital plasma during air medical transport in trauma patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock. N Engl J Med 2018 Jul 26; 379:315 PMID: 30044935 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1802345