Shock First Aid: Signs, Symptoms and What to Do

Knowing shock first aid is important because shock is a life-threatening medical emergency. It can develop when the body’s vital organs are not receiving enough oxygenated blood and can rapidly become more serious if the underlying cause is not treated.

Severe bleeding is one possible cause, but shock can also develop following serious burns, severe allergic reactions, heart problems, significant fluid loss and other serious illness or injury.

If you suspect someone is developing shock, treat any obvious cause you can safely manage, call 999 or 112 for emergency medical help and continue monitoring them until help arrives.

What Is Shock?

In first aid, shock does not simply mean someone feels frightened or emotionally upset.

Medical shock occurs when the circulatory system is unable to provide the body’s tissues and vital organs with an adequate supply of oxygenated blood.

Without treatment, this can lead to deterioration, loss of responsiveness and eventually cardiac arrest.

Shock should therefore always be treated seriously.

What Can Cause Shock?

A number of serious illnesses and injuries can result in shock.

Possible causes include:

• severe external bleeding
• internal bleeding
• serious burns
• severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis
• heart problems
• severe dehydration or loss of body fluids
• serious infection
• significant trauma

For a first aider, identifying and treating an immediately life-threatening cause is a priority.

For example, if a casualty is losing a significant amount of blood, controlling that bleeding is more important than simply treating the resulting symptoms of shock.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Shock?

Recognising deterioration is an important part of shock first aid.

Signs and symptoms can include:

• pale skin
• cold, clammy skin
• sweating
• a rapid pulse that may become weak
• rapid, shallow breathing
• feeling sick or vomiting
• dizziness or weakness
• restlessness, anxiety or unusual behaviour
• increasing confusion
• thirst
• grey or blue discolouration of the skin or lips
• becoming increasingly unresponsive

Not every casualty will display every sign.

Skin colour changes may also be less obvious on darker skin. Areas such as the lips, palms and soles can sometimes make changes easier to recognise.

The casualty’s condition may worsen as shock progresses, so continue to monitor them while waiting for emergency medical help.

Shock First Aid: What Should You Do?

If you think someone is in shock, act promptly.

1. Make Sure It Is Safe to Help

Check for danger before approaching.

Do not put yourself at risk while attempting to help somebody else.

2. Treat an Obvious Life-Threatening Cause

Deal with any immediately identifiable cause that you can safely manage.

For example, severe external bleeding needs to be controlled quickly.

Apply appropriate pressure or use suitable bleeding-control techniques according to your level of training and the equipment available.

Serious burns, anaphylaxis and other emergencies also require appropriate immediate first aid.

3. Call 999 or 112

Shock is a potentially life-threatening emergency.

Call 999 or 112 and explain what has happened, the casualty’s condition and any cause you have identified.

Where possible, use a speakerphone so that you can continue helping the casualty while speaking to the emergency call handler.

Follow any instructions you are given.

4. Help the Casualty to Lie Down

If their condition and injuries allow, help the casualty to lie down.

Keeping them lying down can help support circulation and also reduces the risk of injury if they become dizzy or lose responsiveness.

Their legs may be raised and supported where appropriate.

However, do not force a casualty into a position that worsens their condition or conflicts with another serious injury or medical emergency.

For example, somebody experiencing significant breathing difficulty may be more comfortable in a different position.

5. Keep Them Warm

Protect the casualty from the cold.

You can place a blanket, coat or similar covering over them while avoiding unnecessary overheating.

If they are lying on a cold surface, insulation underneath them can also help reduce heat loss.

6. Reassure Them

Stay with the casualty and speak calmly.

Pain, fear and distress can add to the demands being placed on the body.

Explain what you are doing and reassure them that emergency help has been called.

7. Continue Monitoring Them

Keep checking the casualty’s condition while waiting for help.

Pay particular attention to:

• their level of response
• their breathing
• any continuing bleeding
• changes in their general condition

Be prepared for their condition to deteriorate.

What If Someone in Shock Becomes Unresponsive?

If the casualty becomes unresponsive, reassess them immediately.

If they are unresponsive but breathing normally, maintain their airway and manage them appropriately as an unresponsive breathing casualty.

Where appropriate, this may involve placing them in the recovery position and continuing to monitor their breathing.

If they are not breathing normally, this is a cardiac arrest emergency.

Call 999 or 112 if this has not already been done, make sure an AED is being obtained and begin CPR.

Our guide to the seven steps of CPR explains the adult cardiac arrest response in more detail.

Severe Bleeding and Shock

Blood loss is an important cause of shock.

A casualty can lose a significant amount of blood externally, but serious bleeding can also occur internally where it may not be immediately visible.

With severe external bleeding, controlling the bleeding is the immediate priority.

Signs that should increase concern include:

• significant or uncontrolled bleeding
• rapidly soaking dressings
• increasing weakness or dizziness
• pale, cold or clammy skin
• rapid breathing
• deterioration in the casualty’s level of response

Catastrophic bleeding may require additional bleeding-control techniques, such as wound packing or the use of a tourniquet where appropriate and according to the responder’s training.

Emergency medical help should be requested promptly.

Can Internal Bleeding Cause Shock?

Yes.

Internal bleeding can be particularly dangerous because the amount of blood being lost may not be obvious.

It may follow significant trauma or occur because of an underlying medical condition.

Possible warning signs can include:

• signs of shock without obvious external bleeding
• pain or tenderness
• swelling or bruising
• a history of significant injury
• deterioration in the casualty’s condition

A first aider cannot reliably determine the extent of internal bleeding at the scene.

If serious internal bleeding is suspected, call 999 or 112, keep the casualty under observation and follow the emergency call handler’s instructions.

Anaphylaxis and Shock

A severe allergic reaction can also cause life-threatening circulatory problems.

Anaphylaxis may involve:

• difficulty breathing
• wheezing or noisy breathing
• swelling of the tongue or throat
• sudden deterioration
• dizziness or collapse
• signs of shock

Someone experiencing anaphylaxis requires urgent treatment with adrenaline.

If the casualty has an adrenaline auto-injector, help them use it or administer it if appropriate and within your training, then call 999 or 112.

You can learn more in our guide to allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.

Shock Is Different From Fainting

Shock and fainting should not be treated as the same condition.

A faint occurs because blood flow to the brain temporarily decreases. A person will often recover relatively quickly after lying down.

Shock is a potentially life-threatening failure of the circulation and requires urgent medical assistance.

If someone does not recover as expected, has suffered a significant injury, is bleeding, has difficulty breathing or shows signs of serious illness, do not assume they have simply fainted.

Seek appropriate medical help.

Should You Give Someone in Shock Food or Drink?

Do not give food or drink to a casualty who is seriously unwell with suspected shock.

They may deteriorate, become unresponsive or require urgent medical treatment.

Instead, reassure them, keep them comfortable and wait for emergency medical assistance.

Why First Aiders Need to Recognise Shock

A first aider does not need to diagnose the precise type of shock.

What matters is recognising that a casualty may be seriously unwell, identifying and treating immediate life-threatening problems where possible and getting appropriate medical help.

Shock can occur alongside many of the emergencies covered during workplace first aid training, particularly:

• severe bleeding
• burns
• anaphylaxis
• serious injury
• heart problems

Recognising deterioration is therefore an important part of becoming a competent first aider.

Learn Shock First Aid as Part of First Aid Training

Reading about shock first aid can help you understand the signs and appropriate response, but practical first aid training gives you an opportunity to develop the skills needed to assess and manage a casualty.

First Aid and Safety Training covers shock and other medical emergencies within appropriate regulated workplace first aid qualifications.

Our Emergency First Aid at Work course develops essential emergency first aid skills, while the more comprehensive First Aid at Work qualification provides broader workplace first aid training.

Employers can also arrange onsite first aid training across the North East for groups of employees.

If you are unsure which qualification is appropriate for your workplace, contact First Aid and Safety Training and we can discuss your requirements.

You can also view our South Shields training centre and customer reviews on Google.