In a patient experiencing shock, what would you expect to see in their hemodynamic measurements?

In a patient experiencing shock, the hemodynamic measurements reflect changes in blood volume, vascular resistance, and cardiac output. In particular, during hypovolemic or distributive shock, we typically see decreased central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP).

A decreased CVP indicates that there is a reduced volume of blood returning to the heart, which is common in shock states where there is insufficient circulating volume. This drop reflects the body's inability to maintain adequate preload due to the loss of blood volume or vasodilation.

Likewise, the PCWP, which estimates the left atrial pressure and indirectly measures left ventricular filling pressure, also decreases in shock. This is because low intravascular volume reduces the pressure transmitted to the pulmonary circulation from the left atrium. Both decreased CVP and PCWP are indicative of a compromised heart-fill that occurs during shock, where the heart struggles to maintain optimal circulation and perfusion to vital organs.

In context, the other options do not align with the physiological responses seen in shock. Increased CVP and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) would typically indicate fluid overload or heart failure rather than shock. Normative cardiac output combined with increased CVP does not represent the hemod