The first phase of the shock is called erectile or compensatory. Immediately after receiving an injury or burn, a person begins to rush, scream, call for help. In response to severe pain, the pupils dilate and the pressure rises. The second phase is called torpid or apathetic.
The torpid phase of shock is characterized by inhibition of all processes, blood pressure decreases, the body experiences general exhaustion. If the pulse drops to critical levels, a person may fall into a coma and die.
While the ambulance is on a call, the victim needs help, forcing him to talk, to fight. You can not allow a person to fall into an unconscious state.
Torpid phase of shock - symptoms
Symptoms of the second phase of shock cannot be ignored. How to understand by external signs that a person is close to loss of consciousness and death?
Symptoms will be as follows:
- Palpable pulse is palpated.
- The skin is very pale.
- The eyes grow dull, the gaze is fixed, and the pupils are narrowed.
- Body temperature drops to 36-35 ° C due to a decrease in the body's ability to maintain vital functions. But if there is an open wound, then the temperature may rise.
- The skin is dry and may be sticky from cold sweat.
- The patient does not answer questions or answers very quietly.
- When listening to the heart, tachycardia is observed.
- Hematocrit is observed - the volume of red blood cells decreases sharply.
- Breathing is weak, blood supply to tissues is impaired.
- Sometimes nausea and vomiting begin.
It is important to give a person a drink during a period of shock and cover it if it is cold. If the shock is very severe, the body quickly runs out of compensatory possibilities. How severe the condition can be understood by the pulse. If he is too frequent and weak, then a person can soon fall into a coma. A harbinger of coma is a rare shallow breathing.
What happens to the body?
When compensatory possibilities end, the stress hormone ceases to be secreted, blood sugar drops sharply. Then the erectile phase is replaced by a torpid phase. The reaction of apathy and lethargy starts when the tissues cease to respond to the action of excitation hormones - adrenaline and norepinephrine. As a result, after active arousal, a person falls into a frenzied state. The rhythm of the heart goes astray, it ceases to respond to the actions of others.
During this period, the liver and kidneys are disturbed. After experienced traumatic shock, yellowness of the skin is often observed due to an excess of bilirubin in the blood. This is a symptom of a temporary loss of liver function during a period of depression.
Low hemoglobin levels also persist for a long time. Therefore, to increase the level of red blood cells, a transfusion is prescribed.
Classification of shock conditions
Types of shock are divided into several categories. Each category has a separate reason. So what are the types?
- operating.
- hemorrhagic.
- traumatic, which is divided into visceral, cerebral, arising from fractures and compression of the limbs.
- mixed origin.
The main sign of the torpid phase of shock is a decrease in cardiac output. Due to cardiovascular collapse, adrenaline rush begins, respiratory failure and more. The torpid phase of shock is reversible at any form of it, but not at all stages.
Stages
There are four main stages of shock, which are divided by the level of blood loss.
- The first stage is from 0.5 to 1 liter of blood. The condition is reversible. Conscious.
- The second is partially reversible. Blood loss is 1-1.5 liters. The torpid phase of shock begins. Signs of the beginning of this phase - a person calms down, stops moaning and complaining, lips turn blue.
- Blood loss of 1.5-2 liters of blood. The pulse is barely felt. The person is already unconscious, the skin color is cyanotic. Recovery is unlikely. If medical help does not arrive at this moment, a fatal outcome is inevitable.
- The last 4th stage is already a terminal state. Blood loss - more than 50%. Hypoxia of all organs, metabolic disturbance. The functions of the nervous system fade away.
In the period when stage 3 goes into 4, ATP synthesis is disrupted, the oxidative type of exchange is replaced by glycolytic. In the cells there are destructive changes. These are irreversible changes in the body, and doctors will not be able to influence the outcome of events.
First aid for traumatic shock
How to help a person in a state of shock? He needs to provide rest and drink warm sweet water, but only if there is no wound in the stomach. He needs sugar to maintain strength. If there is any contamination or debris in the wound, try to remove it. It is also advisable to find a bandage or clean cloth and use instead of a tourniquet.
The torpid phase of the shock can last several hours, until the ambulance arrives and restores blood circulation, injects the patient with pain medication and adrenaline. All that can be done before the ambulance arrives is to support the person morally and to pinch the wound so that the blood can be slightly suspended. You can also give the victim 50 grams of alcohol or the usual “Analgin”.
conclusions
The most dangerous thing that happens when blood loss occurs during an injury is a violation of the heart rhythm and changes in the hormonal and nervous systems. Blood loss triggers a shock reaction in the brain. The torpid phase of the shock marks the failure of the compensation mechanism. When breathing and oxygen supply to tissues begins to break, and blood pressure rapidly drops.
The torpid phase of shock precedes the terminal state, when signs of vital activity fade away and the person falls into a coma. At this moment, you can not get confused. It is necessary to provide first aid, shelter and try to support morally.