Figure 2.

Salient gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and neuroendocrine pathophysiological consequences of alcohol abuse prior to, or at the time of, hemorrhagic shock. The decreased hemodynamic counterregulatory response leads to decreased tissue perfusion, accentuated oxidative stress, and enhanced tissue injury. In addition, the alcohol/hemorrhaged host shows greater susceptibility to secondary infections leading to increased morbidity and mortality during the post-injury period.