# Can people actually die from shock? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635 "2001-08-23T00:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/1 "2001-08-23T00:18:00Z")
I’ve heard that if somebody has a really horrific or traumatic injury, they can “die from shock” instantly - I don’t know what this phrase means exactly. Maybe they have heart attacks. I mean, the cause of death is something other than their injuries, but as a result of the body shutting down. So, is it possible for someone to have an injury so traumatic that the actual cause of death could be listed on the coroner’s report as “shock?” What actually causes the death? If this is possible, exactly what kind of injury would it take before someone died? I heard about a guy who got impaled by a steel pipe and survived. Is it different for every person? Okay, how about the Mayan sacrifices that got their hearts ripped out? Would the heart-ripping kill them instantly, or would they stay alive for a few seconds? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/2 "2001-08-23T00:52:23Z")
Shock is a real medical entity and diagnosis. Here’s a link to a good description: [http://webmd.lycos.com/content/asset/adam\_injury\_shock](http://webmd.lycos.com/content/asset/adam_injury_shock) As you can see, many things can cause it. Expect about 30-50% of people who go into shock to die. Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/3 "2001-08-23T00:52:44Z")
As I understand it, shock is the name of a collapse of the peripheral circulatory vessels. The increase in the volume of the blood system causes a loss of flow to all areas, especially the brain. That causes a general failure in the function of various body systems from a lack of oxygen. It is a serious condition, and greatly exacerbates any other difficulties, such as trauma or disease. Ripping out you heart would be fatal, without any additional shock, since the entire function of the circulatory system stops immediately. However shock could cause you to die before the heart is actually removed. Mostly shock is a treatable and transitory condition. They have special pants that blow up, physically supporting the lower body’s blood vessels, and insulating the body against heat loss. Call 911. We should have an actual doctor in here in a minute or so. ## Tris “It was a woman drove me to drink and I didn’t even have the decency to thank her.” ~ W.C. Fields ~ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/4 "2001-08-23T02:18:02Z")
If you don’t have any special equipment (e.g., inflatable pants) available, then the first aid for shock is “If the face is red, raise the head; if the face is pale, raise the tail”. Usually, it’s the latter: Not enough flow to the head, so you elevate the legs (tail) to increase flow elsewhere. You should also try to generally make the victim comfortable: Bring him a glass of water, if he’s conscious and wants it, give him a blanket if he wants it, etc. Since shock can be caused by almost any sort of injury, this is a good idea in any first-aid situation (after any “hurry cases”, of course). And just for the record, the Mayans didn’t practice human sacrifice, the Aztecs did. Although the Mayans did take blood sacrifice from humans, it was strictly from willing victims, and they were not to the point of fatality. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/5 "2001-08-23T02:31:29Z")
Sorry, **Chronos** but do _not_ give the victim _anything_ by mouth. Big no-no for shock victims. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/6 "2001-08-23T02:34:23Z")
Uh. Oh, yeah, the reasons. They could vomit and aspirate. They may have had a stroke, or be delerious and can’t swallow properly. They may need major surgery real quick, and full stomach contents are not helpful at this time. They may have neck injuries, and moving the head to drink could cause spinal cord damage. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/7 "2001-08-23T04:47:47Z")
I don’t care about shock the medical condition. I was asking whether or not psychological trauma that comes with receiving a wound can kill a person. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/8 "2001-08-23T04:50:26Z")
Many people die of shock, so never stick your knife in a toaster. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/9 "2001-08-23T05:10:53Z")
Physical shock is not the same as walking in on your best friend and your lover. While I suppose that could give you a fatal stroke or some such, what you are thinking is can you get croaked by the grossness of Ellen and Rosie O’Donnell doin it. No. ---
**Author:** ![Reemul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Reemul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reemul)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/10 "2001-08-23T05:33:13Z")
A brief hijack, but this reminds me of some work a friend of mine did back a few years ago. He worked at UTMB (Univ.Texas Medical Branch) in Galveston in a lab which, among other things, was researching shock. The thought at the time, this was the early 90s, dunno if that’s changed, i’m out of touch with the guys i went to college with (Graduate MARB, Work UTMB!), was that there was an actual “shock factor” in the blood which, i don’t know if it caused shock, or perpetuated it after it started, but was at least associated with the condition. Wow, how’s that for a run-on? As i recall, they had identified what they thought was the shock factor. Or maybe not. It’s been a few years, and i paid more attention to other things going on up there. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-actually-die-from-shock/77635/11 "2001-08-23T06:10:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Uh. Oh, yeah, the reasons. They could vomit and aspirate. They may have had a stroke, or be delerious and can’t swallow properly. They may need major surgery real quick, and full stomach contents are not helpful at this time. They may have neck injuries, and moving the head to drink could cause spinal cord damage. \*\* That and when someone goes into shock the body shunts blood away from what is considered non-vital at the moment (IE the gut) to the organs that are vital (IE heart, lungs, brain) – The stomach is very irritable when it does not get proper blood flow and does a very good job of emptying itself in a rather impressive fashion (read here – projectile vomit) Thats why someone frequently vomits when they go into shock.