Indicate the correct descriptions of spinal shock and neurogenic shock. (Select all that apply, one, some or all.)
Explanation & Rationale
Rationale: A. Spinal shock refers to a temporary loss of all neurologic activity (motor, sensory, and reflexes) below the level of spinal cord injury. Reflex activity is initially absent and gradually returns over hours to weeks, with the return of reflexes often signaling the end of spinal shock. B. Neurogenic shock is a distributive type of shock caused by disruption of sympathetic pathways after a spinal cord injury, leading to unopposed parasympathetic activity and loss of autonomic control below the lesion. C. Several of the statements (A, B, D, E) accurately describe spinal or neurogenic shock. D. Spinal shock typically begins immediately or within minutes after acute spinal cord injury and may last days to weeks depending on severity. E. Loss of sympathetic tone in neurogenic shock leads to vasodilation (causing hypotension), unopposed vagal tone (causing bradycardia), and impaired thermoregulation (leading to hypothermia). These features differentiate neurogenic shock from other forms of shock such as hypovolemic shock.