Which of the following is a late sign of shock?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a late sign of shock?

In shock, the body first tries to compensate to preserve perfusion. Hypotension isn’t seen until those compensatory mechanisms fail, so it marks decompensation and indicates the patient has progressed to a late stage. While tachycardia is an early response to maintain cardiac output and pulse pressure can narrow as stroke volume falls, and altered mental status can occur with worsening perfusion, these signs can appear earlier in the process. Therefore, hypotension is the best indicator of late, decompensated shock.

In shock, the body first tries to compensate to preserve perfusion. Hypotension isn’t seen until those compensatory mechanisms fail, so it marks decompensation and indicates the patient has progressed to a late stage. While tachycardia is an early response to maintain cardiac output and pulse pressure can narrow as stroke volume falls, and altered mental status can occur with worsening perfusion, these signs can appear earlier in the process. Therefore, hypotension is the best indicator of late, decompensated shock.

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