Which type of shock results primarily from pump failure leading to reduced forward flow?

• A. Hypovolemic
• B. Obstructive
• C. Cardiogenic
• D. Distributive

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is distinguishing shock by what causes the blood not to reach tissues adequately. When the heart itself fails to pump effectively, forward flow plummets because the cardiac output drops. This is cardiogenic shock: the pump (the heart) isn’t delivering enough blood, so tissues suffer from under-perfusion despite the blood being present in the circulation.

In contrast, hypovolemic shock stems from a shortage of circulating blood volume, so venous return and preload fall even if the heart is pumping well. Obstructive shock involves a physical blockage to either filling or ejection, reducing forward flow due to the obstruction rather than primary pump failure. Distributive shock features widespread vasodilation and vascular pooling, so perfusion is poor even if the heart’s pumping action is intact.

So, when the primary problem is pump failure with reduced forward flow, the correct description is cardiogenic shock.