Question 67 QMED05 - Machinist-Pump Technician

The Correct Answer is C **Explanation for C (Cold and damp/clammy):** A person experiencing shock (especially hypovolemic or cardiogenic shock, the most common forms encountered in first aid) undergoes significant physiological changes as the body attempts to compensate for poor tissue perfusion. 1. **Cold:** To maintain blood flow to vital organs (heart, brain, lungs), the body triggers massive **peripheral vasoconstriction** (narrowing of blood vessels in the skin and extremities). This shunts blood away from the skin's surface, resulting in the patient feeling cold to the touch. 2. **Damp/Clammy:** Poor perfusion triggers the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a massive release of catecholamines (like adrenaline). This causes an increase in heart rate and respiratory rate, and also stimulates the sweat glands (diaphoresis). Since the skin is cold due to vasoconstriction, the sweat does not evaporate quickly, making the skin feel wet, sticky, or **clammy/damp**. Therefore, **cold and damp (clammy)** is the classic description of the skin condition for a person in most forms of shock. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) Warm and dry:** This is typically the sign of a person who is well-perfused and normothermic, or possibly dehydrated but not in immediate circulatory shock. * **B) Cold and dry:** While the skin is cold due to vasoconstriction, the accompanying sympathetic nervous system activation and resulting diaphoresis (sweating) makes the skin damp or clammy, not dry. * **D) Warm and damp:** While the skin is damp (sweating), the intense peripheral vasoconstriction caused by shock ensures the skin is cold, not warm. *Note: Septic shock in its very early, hyperdynamic stage can sometimes present as warm, flushed skin, but the general and most critical sign of progressing shock remains cold and clammy.*