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Emergencies and resuscitation

How to recognize shock

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)EMS (NREMT)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Low blood pressure is a late sign. Catch shock early from pulse, skin and mental status.

Step by step

  1. Early signs

    Fast pulse, anxiety, cool pale skin, slow capillary refill, fast breathing. [1]

  2. Late signs

    Low blood pressure, confusion, very little urine. [1]

  3. Type

    Bleeding or fluid loss, heart, infection, allergy, spinal injury. [1]

  4. Treat

    Control bleeding, lay flat, oxygen, keep warm. [1]

  5. Fluids

    IV or IO per protocol and type. [1]

  6. Transport

    Rapidly; reassess often. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

14 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic)
  2. NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines

Facts and steps follow NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines; NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.