What type of shock is caused by spinal cord injury interrupting the sympathetic nervous pathway?

• A. Hypovolemic Shock
• B. Neurogenic Shock
• C. Cardiogenic Shock
• D. Obstructive Shock

Answer: (B)

Disrupting the sympathetic outflow from the spinal cord leaves the vessels without their usual vasoconstrictive tone, causing widespread vasodilation below the injury. This loss of vascular tone lowers systemic vascular resistance and blood pressure, and the unopposed parasympathetic influence can lead to bradycardia. The result is neurogenic shock, a distributive form of shock characterized by hypotension (and often bradycardia) with warm, flushed skin from vasodilation early on.

This differs from hypovolemic shock, which stems from reduced circulating volume and typically presents with tachycardia and cold, clammy skin; cardiogenic shock, due to the heart’s impaired pumping; and obstructive shock, caused by a physical blockage to blood flow such as tamponade, PE, or tension pneumothorax. Hence, the shock type produced by spinal cord injury interrupting sympathetic pathways is neurogenic shock.