CE: Trauma-Related Hemorrhagic Shock: A Clinical Review

ABSTRACT: Optimal management of trauma-related hemorrhagic shock begins at the point of injury and continues throughout all hospital settings. Several procedures developed on the battlefield to treat this condition have been adopted by civilian health care systems and are now used in a number of nonmilitary hospitals. Despite the important role nurses play in caring for patients with trauma-related hemorrhagic shock, much of the literature on this condition is directed toward paramedics and physicians. This article discusses the general principles underlying the pathophysiology and clinical management of trauma-related hemorrhagic shock and updates readers on nursing practices used in its management.