AEMCA Practice Exam

What are the four classifications of shock?

1. Hypovolemic, bacterial, cardiogenic, obstructed

2. Cardiogenic, distributive, neurogenic, hypovolemic

3. Obstructed, traumatic, distributive, neurogenic

4. Hypovolemic, obstructed, ischemic, distributive

The correct answer is: Cardiogenic, distributive, neurogenic, hypovolemic

The four classifications of shock include cardiogenic, distributive, neurogenic, and hypovolemic, which reflects the different underlying causes and physiological mechanisms involved in each type. Cardiogenic shock occurs when the heart is unable to pump effectively, leading to inadequate blood flow to the body's organs. This can result from conditions like myocardial infarction or severe heart failure. Distributive shock is characterized by an abnormal distribution of blood flow, often due to vasodilation, and includes subtypes such as septic shock and anaphylactic shock. Neurogenic shock is a specific type of distributive shock that results from a loss of sympathetic tone due to a spinal cord injury, leading to vasodilation and decreased blood pressure. Hypovolemic shock occurs due to a significant loss of blood volume, usually from hemorrhage or severe dehydration. The other options contain classifications that are not accurate representations of established types of shock. For instance, bacterial and obstructed are not recognized categories within the common classifications of shock. Understanding these classifications is crucial for diagnosis and treatment in clinical situations.