Cardiogenic Shock
BY: Rishay, Ross, and Cole
Symptoms
Rapid Breathing
Sudden rapid heartbeat
Confusion
Cold hands/ feet
Fainting
Weak pulse
Pale Skin
Urinating less than normal or not at all
Tests and Diagnosis
Blood Pressure Measurement- People who are in Cardiogenic Shock or are about to go into Cardiogenic shock have a low blood pressure.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)- this test records the electrical activity of the heart, injured hearts have a slightly abnormal electrical impulse.
Chest X-Ray- to check the size and shape of the patients heart and arteries.
Blood Tests- to check if the liver or kidneys are injured.
Blood Tests (Arterial Blood Gas)- to see the oxygen in the patients blood
Echo-cardiogram- sound waves are used to create a live image of the heart to see what part of it is damaged.
Coronary Catheterization (Angiogram)- this test shows if any arteries have narrowed or have been blocked. This is basically a really long tube that is inserted into the patient's thigh and injects a dye into the bloodstream and can be seen with the use of an X-Ray.
Angioplasty- tiny balloons are inflated to widen the narrowed arteries, then normally a mesh tube is implanted (stent) into the artery in order to keep the artery wide enough.
Risk Factors and Who is at Risk
ages 65+
previous heart attack
family history of heart failure
blockages in several of heart’s main arteries
liver or kidney damage
Famous of Well Known Sufferer
Dick Cheney is a famous sufferer of Cardiogenic Shock, he was an avid smoker and due to the cigarette smoke, his arteries began to harden which later block the blood stream and resulted in him having a heart attack.
Support for the Sufferers
- The only major supports that a patient can receive are moral support and life support.
- This is due to the fact that roughly every 20 seconds, someone is having a heart attack and every minute someone dies due to an Acute Heart Attack (Cardiogenic Shock).
Treatment and Prognosis
Emergency life support
Extra Oxygen is given to patient to prevent damage to muscles and organs
Medication
Aspirin, Thrombolytics (or clot busters), Blood-thinners agents, and Inotropic agents such as dopamine or epinephrine
Surgery
Heart pump implant which is inserted into the main artery of the heart (Aorta) the balloon inflates and deflates to mimic the beating of the heart.
takes blood from the lower chamber of the heart and pumps it through the body by carrying the blood from the pumps to your blood vessels.
Heart transplant is only done if the heart is so damaged that no other treatment works, this is a last resort treatment.
- Prognosis
- If the blood supply to the rest of the body is cut for too long, Kidney Damage, Liver Damage or Brain Damage may occur.
- Otherwise with the right care and treatment, a patient should be alright in a matter of a few days.
Cause (Pathophysiology)
Sudden inability of the heart being able to pump sufficient blood through the body
Shock is rare, but fatal if not treated immediately
Damage to left ventricle from lack of oxygen from heart attack
About half survive if treated immediately
History and Research
- Cardiogenic Shock had been very common in the world, but there is a lack of information about who exactly noted the first occurrence of it. Some say the Egyptians, others say it was President Eisenhower's Personal Physician.