Shock

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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Shock Overview
• Shock Causes
• Shock - Specific Types
• Shock Symptoms
• Exams and Tests
• Shock Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Outlook
• Authors and Editors
• Read more on Shock from Healthwise

Shock Overview

The word shock is used differently by the medical community and the general public. The connotation by the public is an intense emotional reaction to a stressful situation or piece of news. Its medical meaning is much different.

Medically, shock is defined as a condition where the tissues in the body don't receive enough oxygen and nutrients to allow the cells to function. This ultimately leads to cellular death, progressing to organ failure and finally, to whole body failure and death.

How the body works

Cells need two things to function: oxygen and glucose. This allows the cells to generate energy and do their specific jobs.

Oxygen in the air enters the body through the lungs; where oxygen molecules cross into the smallest blood vessels, the capillaries, and are picked up by red blood cells and attached to hemoglobin molecules. The red blood cells are pushed through the body by the actions of the pumping heart and deliver the oxygen to cells in all the tissues of the body. The hemoglobin then picks up carbon dioxide, the waste product of metabolism, where it is then taken back to the lungs and breathed back into the air, whereby the whole cycle starts again.

Glucose is generated in the body from the foods we eat. It travels in the blood stream as well, and using an insulin molecule that "opens the door," it enters the cell to provide energy for cellular metabolism.