Cardiogenic shock occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood and maintain an adequate blood supply for other vital organs. Cardiogenic shock has a death rate of about 60% and is the major cause of death in patients hospitalized for a heart attack. Getting immediate medical treatment for a heart attack is important in preventing the development of cardiogenic shock. The June 7, 2006, issue of JAMA includes an article about improving long-term survival for patients who have had cardiogenic shock.
Grahic Jump Location
Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
Myocarditis—a condition in which the heart does not pump properly because the heart muscle is inflamed and diseased
Valvular Heart Disease—damage to heart valves interrupts blood flow
Cardiac Arrhythmias—severe irregular heart rhythms cause uncoordinated blood flow through the heart
Obstruction—certain conditions apply pressure or compress the heart, not allowing it to function as a pump. Pericardial tamponade (collection of blood or fluid around the heart within the heart sac [pericardium] that causes the heart to be compressed) is one such example.
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Cold, clammy skin
Low urine output
Confusion or changes in alertness or unresponsiveness
The history and physical examination, blood tests, electrocardiogram (a recording of the electrical activity of the heart), chest x-ray, and echocardiogram (an ultrasound picture of the heart, its structures, and blood flow through the heart) can help doctors determine why the heart is failing to pump blood.
Careful monitoring in an intensive care unit is necessary. Further treatment depends on the cause. Fluids and medications given intravenously (through a vein directly into the bloodstream) are used to maintain blood flow. Mechanical ventilation (a breathing machine) may be necessary to support the lungs and breathing. Percutaneous coronary intervention (a procedure that opens blocked blood vessels [coronary arteries] of the heart) or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (surgery in which veins, taken from the legs or arms, are bridged over blockages in the heart) may restore blood flow after a myocardial infarction. Other devices may be helpful, such as an intra-aortic balloon pump, which inflates and deflates a balloon placed in the aorta (large artery coming from the heart) to help the heart circulate blood.
American Heart Association 800/242-8721http://www.americanheart.org
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutehttp://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient Page link on JAMA's Web site at http://www.jama.com. A Patient Page on percutaneous coronary intervention was published in the February 11, 2004, issue; and one on electrocardiograms in the April 32/30, 2003, issue.
Sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association
The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 203/259-8724.
TOPIC: HEART DISEASE
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
Instructions
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discretion of the Journal of American Medical Association editors. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest* Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers’ bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Register and get free email Table of Contents alerts, saved searches, PowerPoint downloads, CME quizzes, and more
Subscribe for full-text access to content from 1998 forward and a host of useful features
Activate your current subscription (AMA members and current subscribers)
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
and access these and other features:
Register Now
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.