Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

A patient experiencing neurogenic shock is likely to show which sign?

1. Tachycardia and hypertension

2. Bradycardia and hypothermia

3. Hyperthermia and altered mental status

4. Normal heart rate and high blood pressure

The correct answer is: Bradycardia and hypothermia

In neurogenic shock, the body experiences a loss of sympathetic tone due to a disruption in the autonomic nervous system, often following a spinal cord injury. One of the hallmark signs of neurogenic shock is bradycardia, which is a slower than normal heart rate. This occurs because the sympathetic nervous system is unable to maintain adequate heart rate due to the loss of innervation to the heart. Hypothermia may also be present in neurogenic shock due to the disruption of the body's ability to regulate temperature. This can result from the loss of the sympathetic response that normally helps maintain body temperature, especially after a significant injury that affects the spinal cord's control over thermoregulation. Other signs like tachycardia (increased heart rate) and hypertension (high blood pressure) are more commonly associated with conditions that are characterized by sympathetic activation, which is not present in neurogenic shock. Hyperthermia and altered mental status might suggest other medical conditions but are not definitive indicators of neurogenic shock. Therefore, the combination of bradycardia and hypothermia is the most accurate representation of this particular type of shock.