Complications
Depending on variable individual factors, treatment options include continuous positive airway pressure ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and diuretics to increase renal output. May result in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Hypoperfusion from any aetiology may lead to multi-organ failure, which may be irreversible. This is best prevented by volume resuscitation and early treatment of the underlying cause.
Risk depends on dose, duration, and agent. Patient factors also contribute, in particular the presence and grade of peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The main treatment options are dose reduction of vasopressors and amputation.
The clotting cascade becomes abnormally activated, and clotting factors become consumed by the formation of small clots within blood vessels. This results in abnormal bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes, known as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). DIC can result from any form of shock as well as from endotoxin release from organisms in the context of sepsis. DIC is a serious consequence of shock that often results in acute kidney injury and death.
Shock is best managed in a critical care environment. Indwelling lines and catheters, injuries from trauma, longer patient stay, and use of antibiotics all contribute to increasing the risk of hospital-acquired infections. In patients with sepsis, empirical antibiotics should be narrowed as soon as a pathogen has been identified and sensitivities are available.[1][189]
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