Recognition and management of shock in the pediatric patient.

Shock continues to be a challenge for health care professionals because shock is not a single pathologic process but a complex series of interrelated events. After respiratory failure, shock is the second most common cause of death in children. The etiology of shock can be classified into three major categories: hypovolemic, cardiogenic, and distributive shock (septic shock). Despite the etiology of the shock state, if left untreated, the overwhelming response of the body to the inadequate perfusion is death. The key to successful management and treatment of shock is early recognition and rapid intervention.