Cardiogenic Shock

It is a condition in which the ventricle - a part of the heart, stops acting in the desired manner. Physiologically, ventricles pump blood out of the heart to the rest of the body. Ventricular failure affects the blood circulation resulting in cardiogenic shock. According to 'The American Heritage Medical Dictionary', this is defined as, "Shock resulting from a decline in cardiac output that occurs as a result of serious heart disease, especially myocardial infarction."

Causes of Cardiogenic Shock
The causes for this shock range from myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, rupturing of the heart, arrhythmia, pulmonary embolism, pericardial tamponade to disorders in valves. Myocardial infarction is a condition in which the heart doesn't receive blood. The reason behind it is that, the coronary artery gets blocked. This blockage further leads to rupturing of the Vulnerable Plaque - containing lipids and white blood cells. In this state of a shock, the heart tissues don't receive enough oxygen and nutrients. In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscles become weak and are not able to pump blood in a proper manner. The most common type of cardiomyopathy observed among patients is dilated cardiomyopathy. In this type, heart muscles become weak, in turn the cardiac chambers get dilated. The other two types of cardiomyopathy are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy. In arrhythmia, the electrical conduction taking place in the heart, is not executed properly. Heart rupture actually means the tearing of its ventricular free wall. Though it is not a commonly occurring clinical event, it mostly happens in the state of excitement. Valve disorder is also one of the reasons of cardiogenic shock. Infection, trauma, heart diseases are some of the causes of disorder in valves. Pericardial tamponade is a syndrome in which the heart is surrounded by too much of fluid or blood. The heart cannot pump properly. Pulmonary embolism is a state in which the lung artery gets blocked.

Symptoms of Cardiogenic Shock
Anxiety, restlessness, cold hands, hypotension, mottled skin, fatigue, and pulmonary edema are its symptoms. The patient experiences fatigue due to lack of oxygen. This condition is known as hypoxia in medical terms. Pulmonary edema occurs as a result of accumulation of fluids in the lungs. It results into sweating, breathing difficulty and the patient may also cough up blood.

Cardiogenic Shock - Treatment
While treating this shock, quick action is required. Immediate steps need to be taken to check if it is a case of blockage in blood vessels. In most cases, emergency can be dealt with by just opening the affected blood vessel. In such conditions, providing the patient with oxygen proves to be helpful, as it reduces pressure on the heart. After this temporary relief is given, actual diagnosis and treatment can be started. As the heart is not ready to take extra load to pump blood provided by external means, the Intra-aortic balloon pump proves to be very useful. This device is planted in the aorta - the most important blood vessel present in the heart. It facilitates pumping blood to body parts without putting much pressure on the aorta. If there is a blockage in a coronary artery, it is treated with the help of angioplasty. In angioplasty, obstructed or narrow blood vessels are widened. During this procedure the coronary artery is kept open with the help of a device called 'Stent'.

Avoiding a Cardiogenic Shock
Nowadays we find even youngsters troubled with heart diseases. Then, what are the precautions to be taken to avoid these diseases? The solutions are simple, yet hard to follow in today's fast-paced life. However, for the sake of our own health, it is necessary to take the following steps.

• Exercise daily. Even a 15-20 minute exercise is enough to keep away stress throughout the day.
• Stop smoking.
• Increase the content of fruits and vegetables in your diet, while decrease that of high fat.
• If your cholesterol level is high, eat a low-fat diet and take medication, after consulting your doctor.
• Reduce salt intake in your daily diet.

Today, no matter how developed we are in terms of medical science; discipline, good eating-habits, positive attitude and daily exercise, etc., are some basic things which will help us remain fit in the long run. Let us live a healthy life and of course, avoid any possibility of a cardiogenic shock.