Blood Loss

[Nummy]

In the event of dying from rapid blood loss, what would happen?

Does the heart initially speed up then eventually slow and stop?

And what would happen to your breathing? Would it become shallow and rapid then slow? or slow down straight away?

[Sqad]

What a good question for a second year medical student´s exam.

I can only answer the points that you have mentioned and it is indeed a short answer.

I depends upon the amount of blood lost in a very short time and assuming about 20% of the total body blood.

There would be a rapid increase in pulse rate as the heart tried to furnish all the body organs with oxygen and the breathing would be rapid as it would try and oxygenate what blood remained as quickly as possible.

After a period of time, all the organs would be starved of oxygen, the heart muscle would weaken because of oxygen starvation and would slow down and eventually stop.

The same procedure would apply to the breathing as the respiratory centre in the brain stem would cease to function.

There are hormonal and nervous involvements and to read further,

Google............Hypovolaemic shock