Cardiogenic shock occurs when the heart is unable to supply enough blood to the vital organs of the body. As a result of the failure of the heart to pump enough nutrients to the body, blood pressure falls and organs may begin to fail. Cardiogenic shock is uncommon, but when it does occur, it’s a serious medical emergency. Almost no one survived cardiogenic shock in the past. Today, half of the people who experience cardiogenic shock survive with prompt treatment. This is due to improved treatments and quicker recognition of symptoms. Cardiogenic shock is most commonly the result of a heart attack. During a heart attack, the flow of blood through the arteries is restricted or blocked completely. This restriction can lead to cardiogenic shock. Other conditions that may cause cardiogenic shock include: sudden blockage of a blood vessel in the lung (pulmonary embolism), fluid buildup around the heart, reducing its filling capacity (pericardial tamponade) , damage to the valves, allowing the backflow of blood (sudden valvular regurgitation), rupture of the wall of the heart due to increased pressure, inability of heart muscle to work properly, or at all in some cases, an arrhythmia in which the lower chambers fibrillate or quiver (ventricular fibrillation), an arrhythmia where the ventricles beat too fast (ventricular tachycardia)
