Shock Health Video

Medical shock is a serious circulatory condition not to be confused with emotional shock or surprise. Learn more about shock health in this health video.

Take Action

Seek emergency medical attention
Receive specific therapy
Receive infusion of intravenous fluids
Act fast

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

DR. SUSAN L. MCGLADDERY: Hello my name is Dr. Sue McGladdery, and I am the Medical Director from First Med Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to give you a little bit of general information about the condition known as shock. This is a serious and often life threatening emergency medical condition in which the blood pressure is extremely low. Insufficient blood therefore reaches the body tissues and this means that not enough oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the body. It becomes a critical problem for the vital organs, the brain, the heart, and the kidneys. So, who can develop shock? Shock occurs in people who have an existing medical condition but it can also occur in perfectly healthy adults and children. There are many different causes of shock and the more common causes include problems such as hypovolemia meaning a volume state. This can occur as a result of severe dehydration from gastroenteritis or from hemorrhage. Cardiogenic shock can occur in a situation of a heart attack or heart failure. Septic shock is a result of severe infection for example in meningitis and anaphylactic shock is a kind of severe allergic reaction that may follow for example a bee sting. What are the signs of shock? Initially, anxiety, restless, and then a falling mental alertness. There will be a rapid, weak, and thready pulse. The skin will feel cool and clammy and sweaty. The breathing will most likely be rapid and shallow and the person may feel very cold or even become hypothermic. They'll feel thirsty and may have a dry mouth. They'll probably feel very weak and tired with a cold mottled skin. What should you do? You need to call your emergency number immediately. This person needs urgent supportive treatment in hospital. They'll need to have an infusion of intravenous fluids and oxygen and then specific therapy directed at the cause of the problem and this may include certain drugs, antibiotics, and even surgery. In this condition, you must act fast. The outcome depends not just on the cause but also the speed with which any treatment is started.