What causes cardiogenic shock?

What causes cardiogenic shock?

A heart attack is the most common cause of cardiogenic shock. A severe heart attack can damage your heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle). When this happens, your body can’t get enough oxygen-rich blood.

In rare cases of cardiogenic shock, it’s the bottom right chamber of your heart (right ventricle) that’s damaged. The right ventricle pumps blood to your lungs, where it gets oxygen and then goes to the rest of your body.

Other conditions that make your heart weak and can lead to cardiogenic shock include:

• Damaged heart muscle from having a heart attack.
• Inflammation of your heart muscle (myocarditis).
• An infection of your heart’s inner lining and valves (endocarditis).
• An abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
• Too much fluid or blood around your heart (cardiac tamponade).
• A blood clot that suddenly blocks a blood vessel in your lung (pulmonary embolism).
• A heart valve problem, such as torn muscles supporting your valve or an artificial valve not working right.
• Damage to the septum that divides the left and right ventricles of your heart.
• Heart failure.
• Injury to your chest.