Which finding is most characteristic of cardiogenic shock?

• A. Restlessness
• B. Decreased urinary output
• C. Tachycardia
• D. Warm, moist skin

Answer: (C)

Cardiogenic shock happens when the heart can’t pump effectively, leading to reduced cardiac output and inadequate tissue perfusion. The body’s primary response is to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which speeds up the heart to try to maintain enough blood flow. That compensatory increase in heart rate—tachycardia—is a hallmark finding because it directly reflects the heart’s attempt to compensate for the failing pump.

Other signs can occur but are less specific. Restlessness can arise from poor brain perfusion, and decreased urine output comes from reduced kidney blood flow, but neither is as distinctive as tachycardia. Warm, moist skin is more typical of distributive shock with vasodilation, whereas cardiogenic shock usually presents with cool, clammy skin due to vasoconstriction aimed at preserving circulation to vital organs.