Cardiogenic shock chest x ray

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2] Syed Musadiq Ali M.B.B.S.[3]

The chest x ray will show pulmonary edema, pulmonary vascular redistribution, enlarged hila, kerley’s B lines, and bilateral pleural effusions in patients with left ventricular failure. In contrast, a pneumonia may be present in the patient with septic shock.Chest x-ray provides information on cardiac size and pulmonary congestion and may suggest alternative pathogeneses such as aortic dissection, pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, esophageal perforation, or pulmonary embolism. The test enables clinicians to confirm the position of the endotracheal tube and the position of supportive devices, including temporary pacing wires.

Although not an ideal method to diagnose cardiogenic shock, the chest x-ray may provide important information such as:^[1][2]

• Rulling out conditions like pneumonia, which may be the cause of other types of shock
• Identification of cardiomegaly in the patient with tamponade
• Identification of a widened mediastinum, which may be present in the patient with aortic dissection
• Exclusion of a tension pneumothorax possibly associated with hypotension
• Confirmation of pulmonary edema, consequence of cardiogenic shock
• Diagnosis of tension pneumothorax
• However, it is not a reliable predictor of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure

Template:WikiDoc Sources