Cardiogenic shock is a state in which the heart has been damaged so much that it is unable to supply enough blood to the organs of the body.

Shock - cardiogenic

Shock occurs whenever the heart is unable to pump as much blood as the body needs.

The most common causes are serious heart complications. Many of these occur during or after a heart attack (myocardial infarction). These complications include:

• A large section of heart muscle that no longer moves well or does not move at all
• Dangerous heart rhythms, such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or supraventricular tachycardia
• Rupture of the heart muscle due to damage from the heart attack
• Tear or rupture of the muscles or tendons that support the heart valves, especially the mitral valve
• Tear or rupture of the wall (septum) between the left and right ventricles (lower heart chambers)
• Very slow heart rhythm (bradycardia) or heart conduction block

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Cardiogenic shock Symptoms

Review Date: 05/14/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)