Question

You are a nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) caring for a client presenting with vasodilation. Your assessment indicates that the client's central blood flow is reduced and their peripheral vascular area is hypervolemic. You notify the physician that this client is in what kind of shock?

a) Circulatory (distributive)
b) Cardiogenic
c) Obstructive
d) Hypovolemic

Answer 1

The client presenting with vasodilation, reduced central blood flow, and hypervolemic peripheral area is in circulatory (distributive) shock, typically treated with fluid replacement and medications to restore vascular tone. Option a.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a client presents in the Emergency Department (ED) with vasodilation indicating reduced central blood flow and hypervolemic peripheral vascular area, the notifying physician would identify that the client is in circulatory (distributive) shock. This type of shock occurs when the arterioles lose their normal muscular tone and dilate, which can be caused by conditions such as sepsis, neurogenic shock from cranial or spinal injuries, or anaphylactic reactions to severe allergies.

Treatment typically involves fluid replacement and medications that restore tone to the muscles of the vessels, also known as inotropic or pressor agents, while addressing the underlying causes. The client in this scenario is presenting with vasodilation, reduced central blood flow, and hypervolemic peripheral vascular area. These signs and symptoms indicate circulatory (distributive) shock.