American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the ABS QE with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question provides hints and explanations to enhance understanding. Start your journey to becoming a certified surgeon and tackle your exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

In adrenal shock, what is typically observed?

Increased central venous pressure (CVP)
Decreased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP)
Increased cardiac output (CO)
Decreased systemic vascular resistance (SVR)

The correct answer is: Decreased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP)

In adrenal shock, the correct observation is that there is typically decreased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). This condition often presents with relative hypovolemia due to vascular dilation and a lack of adequate circulating volume, which is common in adrenal insufficiency or acute adrenal crisis. In adrenal shock, the body experiences a significant drop in cortisol levels, which plays a crucial role in managing vascular tone and fluid balance. As a result, this can lead to decreased vascular resistance and increased venous capacitance, causing blood to pool in the capacitance vessels. Consequently, the pressure within the pulmonary capillary bed (reflected by the PCWP) decreases, showcasing a state of hypovolemia. Decreased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure indicates that there is a lower central venous filling and reduced pressures in the pulmonary circulation, correlating with the cardiovascular state observed in adrenal shock. Understanding this mechanism is essential for managing patients with adrenal insufficiency, particularly in recognizing how hemodynamic parameters will reflect their underlying physiology.