Shock and Its Effect on the Cell

Formerly the clinician diagnosed and treated the shock complex on the basis of hemodynamic principles. For example, subjective findings exemplifying peripheral vasoconstriction and the objective signs of blood pressure, pulse, and central venous pressure were essential in determining his course of action. Today the accelerated pace of biochemical research and development of new instrumentation has imparted a new philosophy to shock therapy: the treatment of the cell. Since shock is a disorder of the molecules of cells, the physician must understand the effects of low perfusion on the breakdown and repair of the cell. The following is a review of the function and chemistry of the cell in health, progressive shock, and its response to adequate therapy. The Cell.— Organelles are specific functional components or bodies in a cell (Fig 1). (1) The nucleus controls cell function. (2) The mitochondria produce energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), from breakdown of sugars, fats,