Learn ways to prevent heart disease, falls, injuries, dehydration, and other causes of shock. If you have a known allergy (for example, to insect bites or stings), carry an epinephrine pen. Your doctor will teach you how and when to use it.
Once someone is already in shock, the sooner shock is treated, the less damage there may be to the person's vital organs (like the kidney, liver, and brain). Early first aid and emergency medical help can save a life.
Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002.
Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Textbook of Medicine.22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2004.