Which shock arises from infection leading to systemic vasodilation and capillary leakage?

• A. Septic Shock
• B. Burn Shock
• C. Non-Hemorrhagic Shock
• D. Tension Pneumothorax

Answer: (A)

Distributive shock from infection occurs when a systemic inflammatory response causes widespread vasodilation and capillary leak. In septic shock, immune mediators such as TNF-alpha, IL-1, and nitric oxide dilate vessels and increase capillary permeability, allowing fluid to escape into interstitial spaces. This reduces the effective circulating volume and systemic vascular resistance, leading to hypotension and impaired tissue perfusion. It’s this pattern—infection-triggered widespread vasodilation with capillary leakage—that makes septic shock the best answer.

Burn shock, by contrast, centers on significant fluid loss from burned skin, producing hypovolemia from external fluid shifts rather than infection-driven vasodilation. Tension pneumothorax causes obstructive shock due to compression of the heart and great vessels, not a systemic inflammatory response. Non-hemorrhagic shock is a broad term for shock not caused by hemorrhage and doesn’t specify the infection-linked vasodilation and capillary leak seen in septic shock.