Pain shock

Despite the prevalence of the expression "pain shock" and "death from pain shock," the main cause of the development of a shock state in injuries is extensive loss of blood or plasma, which leads to death in the absence of emergency medical care. Severe pain, which gave the name to the condition, aggravates the shock, although it is not its main cause. Also, pain shock can occur with certain diseases: heart attack, kidney and liver colic, perforated stomach ulcer, ectopic pregnancy.

Symptoms of pain shock

Signs of a traumatic pain shock are divided into several phases and stages, depending on its severity.

Initial phase

This is the excitement phase - erectile. This stage of shock may be absent or last only a few minutes, so the presence of a pain shock in the initial phase is extremely rare. At this stage, the pain from trauma triggers the release of a large amount of adrenaline into the blood. The patient is excited, screams, rushes, pulse and breathing quickened, the pressure can be increased, the pupils dilated. There is a pallor of the skin, tremor (trembling limbs) or minor muscle spasms, cold sweat.

The second phase of shock

This is the braking phase - torpid. In the transition to the second phase, the victim becomes lethargic, apathetic, ceases to respond to external stimuli, arterial pressure is reduced, and a pronounced tachycardia appears. In this phase, depending on the severity of the patient's condition, three stages of shock are distinguished:

1. The first stage: the pressure is reduced to 90-100 mm of the mercury column, a decrease in reflexes, a moderate tachycardia, an easy retardation.
2. The second stage: the pressure is reduced to 90-80 mm of the mercury column, the breathing is rapid, the surface one, the pulse is much faster, the consciousness remains, but a clearly expressed inhibition.
3. Decreased pressure to critical, pronounced pallor of the skin and cyanosis of the mucosa, breathing is uneven. At this stage of pain shock, fainting is often enough.

In the absence of medical care after the third stage of pain, agony and death begin.

First aid for pain shock

Usually, a shock condition is caused by serious enough damage to the body, which requires delivery of the victim to the hospital. Therefore, with pain shock, only first-aid measures can be taken on-site to help prevent further deterioration of the condition:

1. In the presence of open bleeding it is necessary to try to stop it - apply a tourniquet or pinch the artery with your fingers, press tightly folded tissue into the wound.
2. Lay the victim, carefully, avoiding sudden movements. Raise your legs so that they are above the body, this will improve the flow of blood to vital organs. If there is a suspicion of trauma to the head , neck, spine, hip, lower leg, and if a heart attack is possible, then the legs should not be raised.
3. If there are fractures or dislocations of the limbs, fix them with a tire.
4. Try to warm the patient. Wrap blankets, if he can drink - give a warm drink. If there is a suspicion of a stomach injury, you can only moisten your lips, but you should not give a drink to the victim.
5. If possible, carry out anesthesia: give the patient a non-narcotic analgesic, apply ice or a cold object to the injury site. If breathing is disturbed, craniocerebral trauma, nausea and vomiting from the use of pain medication should be discarded.
6. As soon as possible, deliver the victim to the hospital.

And here's what you can not do with a painful shock:

1. Give the victim any cardiac drugs. This can cause an additional reduction in pressure.
2. Try to extract foreign objects yourself (for example, fragments).
3. To water a victim with suspected abdominal trauma.
4. Give the victim alcohol.

Consequences of pain shock

Any shock state adversely affects the body. Even if the patient recovers, as a result of a violation of the blood supply to the internal organs, problems with liver function, kidney function, development of neuritis, impaired coordination are possible in the future.