Wilderness and Rescue Medicine 7th Edition Jeffrey Isaac, PA-C and David E. Johnson, MD

33

Section II: Critical Body Systems

Chapter 4 Review: The Circulatory System

• The circulatory system is one of the three critical body systems. The basic components include the blood volume, blood vessels, and the heart. • The primary function is to circulate blood under pressure adequate to perfuse all body tissues. • The major problem that can develop is inadequate perfusion pressure caused by low blood volume, inadequate blood vessel constriction, or inadequate heart function. This is called volume shock, vascular shock, or cardiogenic shock respectively. • Shock should be suspected or anticipated with mechanisms including severe bleeding, dehydration, systemic infection, anaphylaxis, or heart attack. • Shock is recognized by a mechanism of injury coupled with the characteristic pattern of vital sign changes. • Shock that cannot be fixed in the field is a high-risk problem.