Jason Stephens | November 15, 2024 | Personal Injury
Exsanguination refers to the process of losing a critical amount of blood in a short amount of time, either through a traumatic injury or a severe medical condition. It’s a term often used in a medical context to describe life-threatening or fatal blood loss.
What Does Exsanguination Mean?
The word “exsanguination” comes from the Latin roots “ex-” (out of) and “sanguis” (blood). In simple terms, it means “bleeding out.” While the human body can compensate for minor blood loss, losing too much blood too quickly can overwhelm the cardiovascular system and lead to shock or death.
Losing about 40% of your blood volume (roughly 2 liters for an average adult) is usually fatal without immediate medical intervention.
Hemorrhagic Shock and the Effects of Major Blood Loss
Losing too much blood triggers hypovolemic shock or hemorrhagic shock.
There are four classes of hemorrhagic shock:
- Class I: Up to 15% of blood volume lost with a pulse rate under 100 per minute
- Class II: 15% to 30% of blood volume lost with a pulse rate of 100 to 120 per minute
- Class III: 30% to 40% of blood volume lost with a pulse rate of 120 to 140 per minute
- Class IV: Greater than 40% of blood volume lost with a pulse rate greater than 140 per minute
Heart rate and blood pressure remain close to normal up to about 30% of blood volume lost. After this much blood is lost, your heart rate and breathing rate increase rapidly, and your blood pressure drops.
Because organs, including the heart and brain, are not receiving the oxygen and nutrients they need, it can trigger organ failure. It also causes brain cell death due to hypoxic or anoxic brain injury.
Exsanguination is a significant contributor to trauma-related deaths. Trauma is one of the top three leading causes of death, and about half of all deaths from trauma are due to hemorrhage and exsanguination. Hemorrhagic shock from an injury is the leading cause of death for people between one and 46 years old.
Every year, about 60,000 people in the U.S. die from exsanguination.
Common Causes of Exsanguination
Exsanguination is usually caused by trauma, but it can also be caused by medical complications.
Severe accidents, such as car crashes or falls, can cause deep wounds, severed arteries, amputation, or internal bleeding. Penetrating injuries from assault, including stabbings or gunshots, are also frequent causes.
Workplace accidents, particularly construction accidents and factory accidents, are the cause of many cases of fatal blood loss. These accidents often involve heavy equipment, falls from great heights, and falling objects.
Outside of traumatic accidents and assault, exsanguination can be due to:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and complications: Diverticulosis can cause sudden, severe bleeding when an artery in the diverticulum bursts. An esophageal tear is another common cause of massive GI bleeding.
- Surgical complications: Some surgical procedures, especially those involving major organs or blood vessels, carry a risk of excessive blood loss.
- Childbirth (postpartum hemorrhage): In rare cases, severe bleeding during or after childbirth can lead to exsanguination.
- Medical malpractice: Surgical errors are one of the most common types of malpractice to cause exsanguination.
- Aneurysms and ruptured blood vessels: Conditions like an abdominal aortic aneurysm can cause sudden and fatal internal bleeding.
- Rare medical conditions and blood disorders: Hemophilia and other clotting disorders can increase the risk of uncontrollable bleeding, even from minor injuries.
Exsanguination can be due to external or internal bleeding. Even in the case of trauma, internal bleeding may be more serious than any visible injuries.
The Signs and Symptoms of Life-Threatening Blood Loss
Recognizing the signs of severe blood loss is critical for seeking timely medical intervention. Symptoms include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Rapid breathing
- Pale, clammy skin that’s moist or sweaty
- Weakness or dizziness
- Confusion or loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced or no urine output
- Severe pain (if associated with trauma)
The most dangerous type of blood loss is internal bleeding because it can be hard to recognize. Sometimes, it’s sudden and causes noticeable symptoms like extreme pain. It can also be slow and silent, causing few symptoms until blood loss is extreme and life-threatening.
The Long-Term Complications of Massive Blood Loss
Even if a person survives major blood loss, they may face serious health consequences. Organ damage and brain damage can occur when blood flow is insufficient to supply oxygen to vital tissues. Survivors often need transfusions, surgery, and rehabilitation to recover fully. Most survivors are left with serious and potentially life-long effects.
Sadly, massive blood loss is usually fatal. When fatal blood loss is caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, it’s considered wrongful death. Surviving family members can seek justice and financial compensation from the at-fault party through a wrongful death claim.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth and Weatherford personal injury lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation. We can help you pursue the financial resources you need to recover and move forward.
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 406
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents – Weatherford Office
109 York Ave Suite #201
Weatherford, TX 76086
(817) 409-7000