After a cervical spine injury at C7, which of the following can be a sign of neurogenic shock?

Prepare for the Platinum Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic (EMTP) 3.3 Test. Engage with interactive questions and detailed explanations. Ace your EMT-P certification!

Multiple Choice

After a cervical spine injury at C7, which of the following can be a sign of neurogenic shock?

Neurogenic shock after a cervical spine injury happens because the injury disrupts the sympathetic pathways that normally speed the heart and constrict blood vessels. With a high spinal injury like at C7, the heart loses sympathetic input and is influenced more by the vagus nerve, so the heart rate tends to slow down. That results in bradycardia, which is a hallmark sign when the autonomic balance tilts toward parasympathetic dominance and theres widespread vasodilation causing hypotension. Tachycardia would not fit this mechanism, hypertension would indicate sympathetic activity rather than its loss, and cyanosis isn’t a defining feature of neurogenic shock. So bradycardia best reflects the expected response in this scenario.

Neurogenic shock after a cervical spine injury happens because the injury disrupts the sympathetic pathways that normally speed the heart and constrict blood vessels. With a high spinal injury like at C7, the heart loses sympathetic input and is influenced more by the vagus nerve, so the heart rate tends to slow down. That results in bradycardia, which is a hallmark sign when the autonomic balance tilts toward parasympathetic dominance and theres widespread vasodilation causing hypotension. Tachycardia would not fit this mechanism, hypertension would indicate sympathetic activity rather than its loss, and cyanosis isn’t a defining feature of neurogenic shock. So bradycardia best reflects the expected response in this scenario.

More practice questions