Cardiac Tamponade can cause one of the following:

IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2023

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2023

Explanation

Cardiac tamponade involves fluid accumulation in the pericardial sac, which physically compresses the heart.
This compression restricts the heart's ability to fill with blood, drastically reducing cardiac output.
This mechanism, where a physical obstruction leads to pump failure, is known as obstructive shock.
Obstructive shock is classified as a form of cardiogenic shock because the primary problem is the heart's inability to pump blood effectively to the body.

Option A: Spinal shock is a neurological phenomenon resulting from spinal cord injury, leading to a loss of autonomic tone and reflexes below the injury level. It is not caused by a cardiac issue.
Option C: Hypovolemic shock is caused by a critical loss of intravascular volume, such as from severe bleeding or dehydration. In cardiac tamponade, the blood volume is typically normal initially; the problem is the heart's inability to circulate it.
Option D: Anaphylactic shock is a type of distributive shock resulting from a severe, systemic allergic reaction. It causes massive vasodilation and increased capillary permeability, not cardiac compression.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pathophysiology and classification of shock as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Recognizing cardiac tamponade is a critical nursing skill, as it is a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention to prevent cardiac arrest.
Nurses must be vigilant for Beck's Triad (hypotension, JVD, muffled heart sounds) in at-risk patients, such as those post-cardiac surgery or with chest trauma.
The primary nursing role is to anticipate and prepare for emergency pericardiocentesis, the definitive treatment to drain the pericardial fluid and relieve the compression.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'Cardiac Tamponade'.
Recall the definition of cardiac tamponade: fluid compressing the heart.
Analyze the pathophysiology: Compression prevents the heart from pumping effectively. This is a 'pump problem'.
Review the options, which are different types of shock. Classify them by their primary cause: Spinal (neurogenic), Cardiogenic (pump failure), Hypovolemic (volume loss), Anaphylactic (distributive/pipe problem).
Connect the pathophysiology of tamponade (pump failure due to obstruction) to the classifications. Cardiogenic shock is the category for pump failure.
Therefore, cardiac tamponade causes a form of cardiogenic shock.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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