Hypovolemia is a condition when the amount of blood and fluids in the body is drastically reduced. This condition causes the amount of oxygen in the body to decrease and disrupt organ function. If not treated immediately, hypovolemia can be fatal.
Hypovolemia generally occurs due to heavy bleeding, either due to injury, accident, childbirth, or surgery. If the bleeding has caused the body to lose about one-fifth or more of the volume of blood or fluids, the sufferer is at risk for a drop in blood pressure to hypovolemic shock.
If not treated immediately by a doctor, hypovolemia can make the body lack of oxygen. This condition can lead to tissue damage and the failure of various organ functions to eventually threaten the life of the sufferer.
Various Causes of Hypovolemia
Hypovolemia can occur as a result of a sudden and large loss of blood or body fluids, for example from a serious injury or injury.
In addition to heavy bleeding from wounds, hypovolemia can also be caused by certain diseases or medical conditions, such as:
- Injuries to the digestive tract that cause bloody stools, dark stools (melena), or vomiting blood
- A tear in the heart or a large blood vessel
- Injuries to abdominal organs, including the spleen, liver, and kidneys
- Problems with the uterus, such as ectopic pregnancy and placental abruption
- Gynecological disorders, such as endometriosis or a ruptured ovarian cyst
- Heavy bleeding during labor or after delivery
In addition to bleeding, blood volume can also decrease drastically when you lose too much body fluids. This condition can be caused by the following things:
- Severe burns
- Severe diarrhea or chronic diarrhea
- Body sweats too much
- Throws up
- Lack of fluid intake or dehydration
Various Symptoms of Hypovolemia That Can Occur
Symptoms of hypovolemia can vary, depending on how much fluid or blood is lost from the body. Mild symptoms of hypovolemia can include:
- Headache
- Dizzy
- Fatigue
- Nauseous
- Cold sweat
If it is severe or causes shock, hypovolemia can cause several symptoms, including:
- Skin feels cold and wet
- Face looks pale
- Breath fast and shallow
- Chest palpitations or faster heart rate
- Decreased urine production or none at all
- Pulse is weak and fast
- Lips and fingernails look blue
- Loss of consciousness
Hypovolemic conditions, especially those that have caused the various signs and symptoms above, are conditions that need to be treated by a doctor immediately. The more and the faster the body loses blood or fluids, the more severe the symptoms of shock due to hypovolemia will be.
How to Treat Hypovolemia
The initial treatment for hypovolemia or hypovolemic shock is to seek immediate medical attention. While waiting for help to arrive, you can do the following:
- Lay the patient in a supine position with the legs raised about 30 cm from the floor to increase blood circulation.
- Keep the patient's body in a comfortable condition and in a warm temperature.
- Avoid giving water or fluids by mouth.
- If the patient's body must be lifted, try to keep the body in a flat position with the head lower than the feet. Make sure the hypovolemic person does not suffer a severe head injury, neck injury, or spinal cord injury when moving.
- Monitor the patient's condition while waiting for medical help to arrive. If the patient suddenly cannot breathe or faints, immediately perform CPR while waiting for help to arrive.
Arriving at the hospital, patients with hypovolemia will be immediately treated in the ER, then treated in the ICU. During treatment in the hospital, the doctor will provide treatment in the form of:
- Giving intravenous fluids to replace lost body fluids
- Blood transfusion to replace lost blood and improve blood circulation
- Drug administration dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, or norepinephrine to increase blood pressure and maintain the performance of the heart pump so that blood circulation in the patient's body runs smoothly
If not treated immediately, hypovolemia can cause various complications, including failure of various organ functions in the form of kidney failure, brain damage, death of body tissue (gangrene), heart failure, and even death.
Therefore, if you see someone experiencing symptoms of hypovolemia, you should immediately take them to the doctor so that they can be given treatment as soon as possible. Proper treatment is needed to prevent complications of hypovolemia which can be fatal.
