Cardiogenic shock is a medical emergency resulting from inadequate blood flow to the body's organs due to the dysfunction of the heart.
Signs of inadequate blood flow include low urine production (<30 mL/hour), cool arms and legs, and decreased level of consciousness.
Care should also be directed to any other organs that are affected by this lack of blood flow (e.g., dialysis for the kidneys, mechanical ventilation for lung dysfunction).
[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] An electrocardiogram helps to establish the exact diagnosis and guides treatment, it may reveal: Echocardiography may show poor ventricular function, signs of PED,[clarification needed] rupture of the interventricular septum, an obstructed outflow tract or cardiomyopathy.
[citation needed] Initial management of cardiogenic shock involves medications to augment the heart's function.
[4] Patients who have cardiogenic shock unresponsive to medication therapy may be candidates for more advanced options such as a mechanical circulatory support device.
Potential complications include injury upon insertion of the device to arteries supplying the spinal cord as well as risks with any procedure such as bleeding and infection.
[16] Venous-arterial extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation is a circuit support system that is meant to replace the function of the heart as it heals or awaits a more definitive treatment.
[17] Complications of venous-arterial extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation include an air embolism, pulmonary edema, and blood clotting in the circuit machine.