Lesson 4: Hemorrhagic Shock

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​Hemorrhagic shock is a condition due to a decrease in circulating blood volume. This decrease can occur because a patient actually lost blood or alternatively, lost only the fluid component of the blood. Hemorrhage is a major cause of early death after trauma. Blunt or penetrating trauma is the most common cause, followed by upper and lower gastrointestinal sources for severe hemorrhage. The trauma nurse must understand that the primary treatment of hemorrhagic shock is to control the source of bleeding as soon as possible and to replace fluid. For controlled hemorrhagic shock (CHS), where the source of bleeding has been occluded, fluid replacement is recommended.  In case of trauma, the loss of circulating blood volume from hemorrhage is the most common cause of shock. Shock is a common cause of death in injured patients and is the second leading cause of death from trauma.

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand:

• Identification of hemorrhagic shock 
• Fluid replacement therapy
• Primary treatment of hemorrhagic shock

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