PALS 2020 Shock Exam Questions With
Complete Solutions A+ Pass 2025
Marking Scheme
Shock - Answers - ✔✔Shock is defined as a physiologic state characterized by
inadequate tissue perfusion to meet metabolic demand and tissue oxygenation.
metabolic demand - Answers - ✔✔what cardiac output is normally equal to
How can shock be characterized? - Answers - ✔✔By inadequate peripheral and end
organ perfusion. Also it can be characterized by low cardiac output and decreased level
of consciousness.
What types of shock can cause a high cardiac output? - Answers - ✔✔Shock thats
caused by sepsis or anaphylaxis cardiac out put can be high
All types of shock can do what to organs? - Answers - ✔✔Can result in impared function
of vital organs such as the brain (Decreased level of consciousness) and kidneys ( Low
urine output and ineffective filtering)
What will occur if adequate o2 delivery to the tissues is not maintained? - Answers -
✔✔Organ dysfunction
What are the major functions of the cardiopulmonary system? - Answers - ✔✔Delivers
oxygen to body tissues
Removes metabolic by products of cellular metabolism
Tissue hypoxia - Answers - ✔✔This is present when a region of the body or an organ is
deprived of adequate O2 supply.
What does cardiac output determine and vascular resistance determine? - Answers -
✔✔Determines adequate blood flow to the tissues
Cardiac output - Answers - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute is
the product of stroke volume and heart rate
Cardia output=Stroke volume X Heart Rate
Stroke volume - Answers - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped by the ventricles with each
contraction
, Cardia output=Stroke volume X Heart Rate - Answers - ✔✔According to this formula if
the heart rate decreases, stroke volume must increase commensurately to maintain the
cardiac output.
How can cardiac output increase? - Answers - ✔✔By an increase in heart rate, in stroke
volume or both
What are the limits of increased cardia output produced by increasing heart rate? -
Answers - ✔✔If the rate is too fast, as can happen with tachyarrhythmias, stroke volume
can fall bc there is inadequate time to fill the heart.
As shock develops, compensatory mechanisms attempt to? - Answers - ✔✔Attempt to
maintain O2 delivery to vital organs
vasoconstriction - Answers - ✔✔the constriction of blood vessels, which increases blood
pressure.
Name the compensatory mechanisms - Answers - ✔✔Tachycardia
Increased systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (vasoconstriction)
Increased strength of cardiac contraction (Contractility)
Increase in venous smooth muscle tone
The body's first action to maintain cardiac output is to? - Answers - ✔✔Is to increase
heart rate, or tachycardia, which can increase cardiac output to a limited degree
When O2 delivery to the tissues is compromised what happens? - Answers - ✔✔Blood
flow is redirected or shunted from nonvital organs and tissues ( like skin, skeletal
muscles, gut, kidneys) to vital organs like brain, heart
What is another mechanism to maintain stroke volume and cardiac output? - Answers -
✔✔Is increased strength of cardiac contractions, or contractility, with more complete
emptying of the ventricles
What else can support stroke volume? - Answers - ✔✔Can be supported by increased
venous smooth muscle tone, improving venous return to the heart and preload
How is blood pressure determined - Answers - ✔✔product of Cardiac output and
Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR)
As cardiac output decreases blood pressure is maintained by? - Answers - ✔✔By an
increase in SVR
Complete Solutions A+ Pass 2025
Marking Scheme
Shock - Answers - ✔✔Shock is defined as a physiologic state characterized by
inadequate tissue perfusion to meet metabolic demand and tissue oxygenation.
metabolic demand - Answers - ✔✔what cardiac output is normally equal to
How can shock be characterized? - Answers - ✔✔By inadequate peripheral and end
organ perfusion. Also it can be characterized by low cardiac output and decreased level
of consciousness.
What types of shock can cause a high cardiac output? - Answers - ✔✔Shock thats
caused by sepsis or anaphylaxis cardiac out put can be high
All types of shock can do what to organs? - Answers - ✔✔Can result in impared function
of vital organs such as the brain (Decreased level of consciousness) and kidneys ( Low
urine output and ineffective filtering)
What will occur if adequate o2 delivery to the tissues is not maintained? - Answers -
✔✔Organ dysfunction
What are the major functions of the cardiopulmonary system? - Answers - ✔✔Delivers
oxygen to body tissues
Removes metabolic by products of cellular metabolism
Tissue hypoxia - Answers - ✔✔This is present when a region of the body or an organ is
deprived of adequate O2 supply.
What does cardiac output determine and vascular resistance determine? - Answers -
✔✔Determines adequate blood flow to the tissues
Cardiac output - Answers - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute is
the product of stroke volume and heart rate
Cardia output=Stroke volume X Heart Rate
Stroke volume - Answers - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped by the ventricles with each
contraction
, Cardia output=Stroke volume X Heart Rate - Answers - ✔✔According to this formula if
the heart rate decreases, stroke volume must increase commensurately to maintain the
cardiac output.
How can cardiac output increase? - Answers - ✔✔By an increase in heart rate, in stroke
volume or both
What are the limits of increased cardia output produced by increasing heart rate? -
Answers - ✔✔If the rate is too fast, as can happen with tachyarrhythmias, stroke volume
can fall bc there is inadequate time to fill the heart.
As shock develops, compensatory mechanisms attempt to? - Answers - ✔✔Attempt to
maintain O2 delivery to vital organs
vasoconstriction - Answers - ✔✔the constriction of blood vessels, which increases blood
pressure.
Name the compensatory mechanisms - Answers - ✔✔Tachycardia
Increased systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (vasoconstriction)
Increased strength of cardiac contraction (Contractility)
Increase in venous smooth muscle tone
The body's first action to maintain cardiac output is to? - Answers - ✔✔Is to increase
heart rate, or tachycardia, which can increase cardiac output to a limited degree
When O2 delivery to the tissues is compromised what happens? - Answers - ✔✔Blood
flow is redirected or shunted from nonvital organs and tissues ( like skin, skeletal
muscles, gut, kidneys) to vital organs like brain, heart
What is another mechanism to maintain stroke volume and cardiac output? - Answers -
✔✔Is increased strength of cardiac contractions, or contractility, with more complete
emptying of the ventricles
What else can support stroke volume? - Answers - ✔✔Can be supported by increased
venous smooth muscle tone, improving venous return to the heart and preload
How is blood pressure determined - Answers - ✔✔product of Cardiac output and
Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR)
As cardiac output decreases blood pressure is maintained by? - Answers - ✔✔By an
increase in SVR
