Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Test 2026 - Free CEN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct type of shock characterized by hypotension and decreased cardiac output is cardiogenic shock. In this condition, the heart's ability to pump blood effectively is impaired, leading to inadequate blood supply to tissues and organs. This usually results from severe heart conditions, such as a heart attack or congestive heart failure, where myocardial function decreases, ultimately manifesting as hypotension and a drop in cardiac output.

This contrasts with obstructive shock, which involves physical obstruction to blood flow, often due to conditions like pulmonary embolism or cardiac tamponade, where the heart's filling is obstructed rather than its pumping capability being compromised. While hypotension can also occur in obstructive shock, the specific hallmark of decreased cardiac output directly due to heart dysfunction aligns most closely with cardiogenic shock.

Distributive shock, on the other hand, involves abnormal distribution of blood flow, commonly seen in septic shock, where peripheral vasodilation occurs. Hypovolemic shock results from significant loss of blood volume (such as from hemorrhage or dehydration) leading primarily to decreased preload and subsequent hypotension, but this differs in the mechanism of decreased cardiac output compared to the primary myocardial impairment seen in cardiogenic shock.