Treatment for cardiogenic shock?

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Hi Just wondering if any Knowledgable nurses out there could give me more insight to the treatment of cardio shock like what rugs are given? patient positioning? Lab values seen? I hav been reading about it in a few different books and getting real confused with contradicting info Thanx:redbeathe

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Dopamine may be used to increase myocardial contractility, pressors may be used to increase MAP. I'd expect to see increases in BUN/Cr, lactate, and liver enzymes ("shock liver").

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Thanx - i was reading one of my review books it got me confused - so you would use pressors but would you also use dilators as well to balance it out?

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Sometimes vasodilators and/or diuretics would be used to decrease venous return/preload. Also remember that cardiogenic shock has a high mortality rate.

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Specializes in CTICU.

IABP, VADs are also used. Often inotropes to increase contractility, and dilators to reduce AFTERLOAD (ie. reduce cardiac workload). You generally don't want to reduce preload too much as shocked hearts often need a high filling volume.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

...and sometimes shocked hearts have too much preload that the heart is not able to pump forward, thus you've got to either "pee it, park it, or pump it forward".

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