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When you can safely touch the person, do CPR if the person is not breathing or does not have a pulse. For an adult, start adult CPR. 3. Check for Other Injuries If the person is bleeding, apply pressure and elevate the wound if it's in an arm or leg. There may be a fracture if the shock caused the person to fall.
What should you do if someone is in shock?
If unconsciousness is due to low blood pressure, a doctor will administer medication by injection to increase blood pressure. If low blood sugar levels are the cause, the unconscious person may need an injection of glucose or something sweet to eat. Medical staff should treat any injuries that caused the person to become unconscious.
How do doctors treat unconsciousness?
An intravenous (IV) is inserted to provide anesthetic medication. Vital signs are taken initially and continuously throughout the shock therapy treatment. An anesthesiologist administers anesthesia and after you are asleep, places a tube in your throat to help you breathe.
What is involved in shock therapy?
First Aid for Unconsciousness. Lay the person on their back on a firm surface. Kneel next to their neck and shoulders. Place the heel of your hand over the center of their chest. Put your other hand directly over the first one and interlace your fingers. Make sure that ... Using your upper body ...
How do you give first aid for unconsciousness?
How do you treat an unconscious patient?
If breathing or pulse stops at any time, roll the person onto their back and begin CPR. If you think there is a spinal injury, leave the person where you found them (as long as breathing continues). If the person vomits, roll the entire body at one time to their side.
What is the most beneficial treatment for shock?
In general, fluid resuscitation (giving a large amount of fluid to raise blood pressure quickly) with an IV in the ambulance or emergency room is the first-line treatment for all types of shock.
What is the correct treatment for shock?
Seek emergency medical care Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly, unless you think this may cause pain or further injury. Keep the person still and don't move him or her unless necessary. Begin CPR if the person shows no signs of life, such as not breathing, coughing or moving.
What is the normal treatment for shock?
Doctors may prescribe the following medications to treat shock: Drugs that increase pressure in the arteries and help the heart pump more blood, such as dopamine, dobutamine, and norepinephrine. Medications to either dilate or constrict blood vessels (depending on the cause of shock)
What are the symptoms of shock?
Signs and symptoms of shock. Signs of shock can include: weak, rapid pulse. cold, clammy skin. faintness/dizziness. nausea. Immediately after an injury, people may show little evidence of experiencing shock. Signs and symptoms may gradually develop depending on: severity of the injury.
How to treat a fractured leg?
Raise the patient’s legs (unless they have fractures or a snake bite) above the level of the heart, with head flat on the floor. Treat any wound or burn and immobilise fractures . Loosen tight clothing around neck, chest and waist. Maintain the patient’s body warmth with a blanket or similar.
What is the term for a medically induced state of unconsciousness that can be reversed when it's
General anesthesia, a medically induced state of unconsciousness that can be reversed when it's time to wake up after surgery. Being unresponsive and unarousable to smells, touch, noises, or pain due to illness. Coma, unconsciousness that has lasted for a long period of time 1.
What does it mean when you are unconscious?
Unconsciousness is a medical emergency, and it is often a sign of a serious health issue that could result in death or permanent disability. If you encounter a person who is unconscious, call for urgent medical attention and try to provide as much information to emergency medical responders as possible.
What is the most common state of consciousness?
Being fully awake, alert, and oriented to your surroundings is the most common and normal state of consciousness. Altered levels of consciousness include normal stages of sleep, as well as states of diminished awareness due to illness or medication. Unconsciousness includes:
Why does consciousness change?
An altered level of consciousness is a sign that a medical condition has affected brain function. Many different medical conditions can affect consciousness. 2. For example, cardiac arrest leads to a sudden loss of consciousness because blood stops flowing to the brain.
Why does cardiac arrest cause sudden loss of consciousness?
For example, cardiac arrest leads to a sudden loss of consciousness because blood stops flowing to the brain. In cardiac arrest, the brain isn't the problem—the heart is. However, the loss of consciousness is the indicator of the problem. Any sudden loss of consciousness is a medical emergency.
What is immediate treatment?
Immediate treatment can result in improved awareness, and it can also prevent death or lasting health effects. Treatment involves urgent care to manage the immediate problem, as well as long-term care. Treatment can include: Non-invasive oxygen administration. Intravenous fluids.
Can alcohol cause you to lose consciousness?
A - Alcohol: The amount of alcohol that can cause a person to lose consciousness varies from one person to another. For example, a person who takes medications that interact with alcohol or who has liver disease can become unconscious after drinking a relatively small amount of alcohol.
What to do when someone is unconscious?
If someone seems unconscious or unresponsive, the first thing to do is ask if they are OK in a loud voice. If they don’t respond, gently shake them. But if they might have a spinal cord injury, it is best not to move the person until emergency services arrive.
What is the first aid step for a person who is unconscious?
Some simple first aid steps, such as checking the vital signs and assessing for a serious injury, can help until emergency services arrive. If a person is not breathing, it may be necessary to perform CPR. Unconsciousness is an unresponsive state. A person who is unconscious may seem like they are sleeping but may not respond to things like loud ...
What are the complications of unconsciousness?
Complications. Complications of prolonged unconsciousness can be severe. Lack of oxygen to the brain may result in brain damage, and choking can lead to death if the person does not receive treatment. Emergency first aid can also cause complications. For instance, CPR can cause fractured ribs.
What to do if unconscious person is not breathing?
If an unconscious person is not breathing, it may be necessary to move them carefully onto their back, while protecting their ne ck, so that they can receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
How to help a person with a spinal injury?
If the person is breathing and it is unlikely that they have a spinal injury, roll them into a recovery position on their side. Adjust their legs so their hips and knees form right angles . Tilt their head gently back to help keep their airway open.
What to avoid when administering first aid?
There are also some things to avoid when administering first aid: Do not put a cushion under an unconscious person’s head, as it may disrupt their breathing. Do not try to get them to sit up. Do not splash an unconscious person with water. Do not slap them.
What to do if someone is bleeding heavily?
If the unconscious person is bleeding heavily, locate the injury and place strong, direct pressure on the wounded area to slow the flow of blood. Anyone who knows how should apply a tourniquet above the bleeding area to slow the bleeding until emergency services arrive.
To sum it up
There are many reasons for which one may go into shock, and also the symptoms can vary from case to case, but generally speaking, they include clammy skin, general weakness, sweating, quick/irregular breathing, fast heart rate (over 100 heart-beats per 60 seconds), a drop in body-temperature, and thirst.
To alleviate shock, or to prevent it, you should treat an injured person as it follows
If conscious, the victim must be laid down on a plain surface, with his/her legs elevated, and feet about 1 ft off the ground; the idea is that the legs must be higher than the heart, in what’s known in medical circles as shock position
What to do if you are unconscious due to low blood pressure?
If unconsciousness is due to low blood pressure, a doctor will administer medication by injection to increase blood pressure. If low blood sugar levels are the cause, the unconscious person may need an injection of glucose or something sweet to eat.
What happens if you are unconscious?
People who become unconscious don’t respond to loud sounds or shaking. They may even stop breathing or their pulse may become faint. This calls for immediate emergency attention. The sooner the person receives emergency first aid, the better their outlook will be.
How to do chest compressions?
Lay the person on their back on a firm surface. Kneel next to their neck and shoulders. If they’re an adult, place the heel of your hand over the center of their chest. Put your other hand directly over the first one and interlace your fingers.
How to open airway with CPR?
If you’re trained in CPR: Tilt the person’s head back and lift their chin to open up the airway. If the person’s an infant or a child, you may be able to open their airway with just a head tilt. Pinch the person’s nose closed and cover their mouth with a CPR face mask, creating an airtight seal.
What is unconsciousness in psychology?
What is unconsciousness? Unconsciousness is the state in which a person is unable to respond to stimuli and appears to be asleep. They may be unconscious for a few seconds — as in fainting — or for longer periods of time. People who become unconscious don’t respond to loud sounds or shaking.
What causes temporary unconsciousness?
Common causes of temporary unconsciousness include: low blood sugar. low blood pressure. syncope, or the loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain. neurologic syncope, or the loss of consciousness caused by a seizure, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) dehydration.
What to do if you are breathing?
If they’re breathing. If they’re breathing, take steps to get them into the recovery position. This helps them maintain a clear airway and decreases the risk of choking. This video from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) will show you what the recovery position is supposed to look like.
How to treat a conscious victim?
If the victim is conscious, give them small doses of water mixed with salt of sugar. If the victim is not conscious, do not give them any fluids by mouth. Allow the victim to rest for 24 hours. The drawings below illustrate how a conscious and unconscious victim should be treated. Post navigation.
How to know if you're in shock?
The following are typical signs and symptoms of shock: Pale, cold, clammy skin. Rapid pulse. Sweating. Nervousness and agitation. Disorientation. Thirst.
How to keep a victim warm in the cold?
If the weather is cold, use blankets, clothing, or external heat source (another person, hot rocks wrapped in clothing, or fire on either side of the victim) to keep the victim warm. If the weather is hot, move the victim to a shaded area and keep them out of the sun. If the victim is conscious, give them small doses of water mixed with salt ...
How high should the legs be when a victim is conscious?
If the victim is conscious, place the victim on a level surface with the legs elevated 6 to 8 inches so that the legs are higher than the heart (this position is called the “shock position”).
What is the second stage of shock?
The second stage of shock is “decompensated shock” where the body has lost too much blood or not enough oxygen is reaching the vital organs. At this point the body begins to give up and death is very near. The final stage is “irreversible shock”. Once the body reaches this stage all hope of survival is lost.
What are the types of injuries that cause shock?
Although shock can result from any injury, it is most often associated with the following types of injuries: Blood loss. Severe head injury. Severe infections (septic shock) Heart failure. Severe burns.
What are the stages of shock?
Advertisements. Shock progresses through three stages. It begins in stage one: “compensated shock”. During this stage the brain is realizing that something is wrong with the body and begins to route blood to the body’s vital organs. The second stage of shock is “decompensated shock” where the body has lost too much blood or not enough oxygen is ...
What to do if you get a burn from an electric shock?
Cover any burned areas with a sterile gauze bandage, if available, or a clean cloth. Don't use a blanket or towel, because loose fibers can stick to the burns. First aid for electric shock. American Institute for Preventive Medicine. http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/First_Aid_for_Electric_Shock/1490.
What to do if someone is injured?
Call 911 or your local emergency number if the injured person experiences: Take these actions immediately while waiting for medical help: Turn off the source of electricity, if possible. If not, move the source away from you and the person, using a dry, nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood.
How to protect yourself from electrical burns?
Don't touch the injured person if he or she is still in contact with the electrical current. Call 911 or your local emergency number if the source of the burn is a high-voltage wire or lightning. Don't get near high-voltage wires until the power is turned off. Overhead power lines usually aren't insulated. Stay at least 20 feet (about 6 meters) ...
What to do when waiting for medical help?
Take these actions immediately while waiting for medical help: Turn off the source of electricity, if possible. If not, move the source away from you and the person, using a dry, nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood.
Can electrical shock cause burns?
An electrical shock may cause burns, or it may leave no visible mark on the skin. In either case, an electrical current passing through the body can cause internal damage, cardiac arrest or other injury. Under certain circumstances, even a small amount of electricity can be fatal.
1. Separate the Person From Current's Source
Unplug an appliance if plug is undamaged or shut off power via circuit breaker, fuse box, or outside switch.
2. Do CPR, if Necessary
When you can safely touch the person, do CPR if the person is not breathing or does not have a pulse.
3. Check for Other Injuries
If the person is bleeding, apply pressure and elevate the wound if it's in an arm or leg.
5. Follow Up
A doctor will check the person for burns, fractures, dislocations, and other injuries.
What is shock therapy?
"Shock therapy" was so-called, as an electric shock is used to induce a controlled seizure intended as a treatment , primarily for mood disorders, although other conditions may be treated as well. Shock therapy is now known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT.
How does shock therapy feel?
How Shock Therapy Feels. When you awake from the anesthesia, you may be confused and tired. You will likely experience short-term memory loss around the time of the procedure. With multiple treatments, this may increase. Adverse cognitive effects tend to be the most concerning factors around ECT and tend to affect the frequency and duration ...
What is the name of the drug that is used to treat seizures?
A paralyzing agent called succinylcholine is then administered to prevent the seizure from spreading to your body. The electrodes are then applied to your head with conducting jelly and a brief shock (less than 2 seconds) is administered.
How to know if you are recovering from shock?
Your vital signs will be monitored closely after the shock treatment to ensure proper recovery. You may feel head, muscle or back pain. Such discomfort tends to be relieved by mild medications. If any post-treatment effect is concerning you, you should talk to the treating physician immediately.
Where is shock therapy performed?
Shock therapy is performed in a hospital, sometimes in an area specifically set aside for this treatment. An intravenous (IV) is inserted to provide anesthetic medication. Vital signs are taken initially and continuously throughout the shock therapy treatment.
Is electroconvulsive therapy effective?
Electroconvulsive therapy has also shown effectiveness in treating other disorders such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (a rare, severe, adverse reaction to antipsychotic medication). Shock treatment for depression and other disorders is indicated when the patient needs rapid improvement because the patient is:
Does mania respond to shock?
Mania also often responds well to shock treatment. The picture is not as bright for schizophrenia, which is more difficult to treat and is characterized by frequent relapses. A small number of patients are placed on maintenance shock therapy.