Cardiogenic Shock - Causes - Causes
Causes of cardiogenic shock include heart attack and other heart problems, problems outside of the heart, and medicines or procedures.
A heart attack is the most common cause because it can damage the heart’s structure in different ways. Less often, a problem elsewhere in the body blocks blood flow coming into or out of the heart and leads to cardiogenic shock. For more information on the structure of the heart and how it works, visit our How the Heart Works Health Topic.
Heart attack and other heart problems
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Cardiogenic Shock - Causes
A heart attack is the most common cause of cardiogenic shock. Cardiogenic shock usually develops very quickly when it follows a heart attack.
Heart attacks can damage the heart’s muscles and tissues and cause serious heart conditions that may lead to cardiogenic shock. These include:
- Papillary muscle infarction or rupture. The muscles that help anchor the heart valves stop working or break when a heart attack cuts off their blood supply. If this happens, blood does not flow correctly between the heart’s chambers. The muscle infarction or rupture prevents the heart from pumping properly.
- Ventricular septal rupture. Damage from a heart attack can cause the wall that separates the ventricles , which are the heart’s two lower chambers, to break down. Without the wall to separate them, the ventricles cannot pump properly.
Other heart conditions, such as heart failure or arrhythmia, can reduce the heart’s ability to deliver oxygen -rich blood to your organs, leading to cardiogenic shock. Injuries that damage the heart can also cause cardiogenic shock.
inflammation plays an important role in cardiogenic shock.
At a molecular level, inflammation may cause cardiogenic shock. The low blood pressure caused by cardiogenic shock can also trigger a massive inflammatory response, leading to a vicious cycle and lowering the chance of survival.
If a heart attack or other problem damages the heart, an inflammatory response happens throughout the body. Cells release substances called cytokines, which then stimulate high levels of a gas called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels throughout the body to relax and widen, leading to an even greater drop in blood pressure. The body also reacts in an opposite way by releasing other substances that make the blood vessels narrow. This can further reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the vital organs and increase the risk of organ failure. When the heart itself does not get enough oxygen, its ability to pump blood weakens and the chance of survival drops.
Problems outside the heart
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Cardiogenic Shock - Causes
Cardiogenic shock can be caused by problems outside the heart, including fluid buildup in the chest causing cardiac tamponade , internal bleeding or blood loss, or pulmonary embolism, a type of venous thromboembolism. Trauma or injury to the chest can damage the heart so that it no longer pumps blood effectively. For example, injuries that bruise or put pressure on the heart can cause cardiogenic shock.
Medicines or procedures
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Cardiogenic Shock - Causes
Rarely, some medicines can cause cardiogenic shock if you take a dose that is too high or if your heart is not working well after a heart attack or other heart problem. Examples include heart medicines such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure. It is rare for medicines to cause cardiogenic shock, and you can lower your risk by taking the right doses of medicines at the right time.
Very rarely, a heart procedure, such as cardiac catheterization, may injure the heart itself or cause arrhythmia, leading to cardiogenic shock.
Cardiogenic shock usually is caused by heart problems. What causes other types of shock?
Shock can occur when your body does not get enough oxygen-rich blood for any reason and may lead to tissue damage and organ failure. Cardiogenic shock is usually caused by poor pumping function of the heart. Other causes of shock include:
- Bleeding, which can cause shock by reducing the amount of blood in circulation, depriving the vital organs of oxygen.
- Infections can cause septic shock, which is an overwhelming immune response to infection that can affect the blood vessels.
- Reactions to drugs or severe allergic reactions, which affect the blood vessels’ ability to relax and tighten so they cannot maintain normal blood pressure. If the blood vessels respond too much, the body may go into shock.
Look for
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Cardiogenic Shock - Causes
- Treatment will discuss emergency life support that first responders or doctors provide for cardiogenic shock.