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Introduction:
Circulatory shock, also simple known as shock which can further be subdivided into four types
depending on the cause, is the process of low blood perfusion to tissues that can result in cellular injury
and inadequate tissue function where the body is in a life-threatening state if the condition is not
reversed. The aim of this paper is to comprehend what is circulatory shock, it’s different types and the
general signs and symptoms of this condition for the purpose as student nurses of identifying and
properly attending to an individual who is experiencing this type of shock, the goal is to also understand
the causes associated with circulatory shock and preventatives or treatment of shock.
Priority between the method utilized in the system of classifying the different stages of circulatory
shock, proper health treatment of the individual and the symptoms associated with each stage is
imperative to ensure the correct care of an individual. Research has shown to be beneficial, by
highlighting areas within this condition which may be significant to assess and improve the outcome
of individuals experiencing shock due to certain factors having to be first identified and adhered to
while the person is experiencing shock. Nevertheless, circulatory shock is a problem that is life-
threatening if untreated with major repercussions to health of the individual and is commonly associated
with high morbidity and mortality.
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Definition of Circulatory shock:
Circulatory shock can be defined as “circulatory failure that is the consequence of inadequate
cellular oxygen or hypoxia” (Vincent and Backer, 2013). The impact of circulatory shock commonly
known as “shock” is a life-threatening medical condition for the reason that the lack of blood flow
means that the cells and organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly,
subsequently resulting in the use of anaerobic cellular metabolism. After a period of time this type of
metabolism causes the accumulation of waste products in the cells to rise and if not treated numerous
organs have the possibility to become irreversibly damaged and cell death occurring.
Circulatory shock can have a variety of effects on the body, for example, the development of
hypoxia can manifest due to the occurrence in the deficiency of oxygen exchange in the lungs this can
ineffectually cause the oxygen supply demand of the body not to be meet, therefore, the impact of
circulatory failure can take place. Subsequently, hypoxia is characterized as the initial stage of
circulatory shock, the later stage comprises of the compensatory stage where the body attempts to
reverse the condition, the progressive stage and the refractory stage when death occurs due to the body
no longer being able to reverse the effects of “shock”.
Circulatory shock can be subdivided into five main types, which are hypovolemic shock,
distributive shock, cardiogenic shock, obstructive shock and endocrine shock. The general signs and
symptoms for all types of circulatory shock can be identified and consist of low blood pressure,
decreased urine output, rapid heartbeat, and signs of decompensation such as confusion, or loss of
consciousness, The general treatment of “shock” includes, fluid resuscitation to raise blood pressure
quickly, administration of medications with the purpose of increasing blood flow to the vital organs
and to maximize oxygen delivery by increasing oxygen saturation of the blood or ventilation.
Types of Circulatory Shock:
Hypovolemic shock mostly occurs through injury, such as internal (a ruptured artery or organ) or
external (a deep wound) and can be categorized as an emergency condition in which severe blood or
fluid loss occurs, this make the heart unable to pump enough blood to major organs of the body, such
as the heart and brain, due to low blood volume and can lead to organs becoming severely damaged.
This type of shock can further be divided into three categories depending on its cause, hemorrhagic
shock due to blood loss from a ruptured blood vessel, dehydration shock due to dehydration circulatory
blood volume reduces, and traumatic shock which results from trauma or injury which produces severe
pain and can inhibit the vasomotor center in the medulla oblongata.
Hypovolemic shock can be triggered after the loss of about five pints or more of an adult’s blood
volume, or a significant loss of bodily fluids from illnesses such as burns, diarrhea and vomiting. Signs
