<unk>  can occur in patients following any severe blunt or penetrating injury to the chest. Following the<unk>  event, the heart ceases to pump blood through the body. Unlike medical<unk><unk> , there are several potentially reversible causes that may result in<unk><unk>  in the setting of trauma. Clinicians will rapidly assess for these causes, and interventions will be directed to the specific cause. Massive hemorrhage In both blunt and penetrating trauma, massive internal or external bleeding may decrease the volume of blood is available to be pumped by the heart to the body. This is considered preload dependent<unk> . Tension pneumothorax Tension pneumothorax is caused when air is able to enter the space between the lung and the chest wall, but is not able to escape. The increasing pressure within the chest cavity prevents blood from returning from the body to fill the heart. Hemothorax Hemothorax occurs when injury to the chest results in bleeding into the thoracic cavity. Similar to tension pneumothorax, increasing pressure prevents the return of blood from circulation to the heart.<unk>  tamponade In the setting of trauma,<unk>  tamponade results from an acute pericardial effusion, the accumulation of blood within the sac that surrounds the heart. As this sac is filled with fluid, the pressure on the heart is increased, and the chambers of the heart are unable to fill with blood. Hypoxia Inability to maintain oxygenation in trauma patients may be a result of airway compromise due to mechanical injury or obstruction or due to loss of the respiratory drive from cervical spine or peripheral nerve injury. These conditions result in the hypoxia that may lead to<unk><unk> .
Traumatic cardiac arrest
Spinal shock
Cerebral contusion
Exploding head syndrome
Neurogenic shock
Atelectotrauma
Polytrauma
Heat stroke