Pathophysiology of Shock & Multi-System Failure

All forms of shock share a final common pathway — inadequate tissue perfusion — but the cause and correct intervention differ. Hypovolemic shock (hemorrhage, severe dehydration): treat with fluid/blood replacement. Cardiogenic shock (pump failure, often post-MI): treat by improving cardiac output, sometimes with inotropes, without over-administering fluids that the failing heart can't handle. Distributive shock includes septic shock (infection-driven vasodilation — treat with fluids, early broad-spectrum antibiotics, and vasopressors if fluids alone are inadequate), anaphylactic shock (treat with epinephrine first, then antihistamines/steroids as adjuncts), and neurogenic shock (loss of sympathetic tone after spinal injury — bradycardia plus hypotension, unlike the tachycardia seen in most other shock types).