Septic shock is infection-induced distributive shock. This term best matches which description?

• A. Septic Shock
• B. Distributive Shock
• C. Neurogenic Shock
• D. Hypovolemic Shock

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that septic shock is the infection-triggered form of distributive shock. In septic shock, an infection sets off a systemic inflammatory response that causes widespread vasodilation and increased capillary permeability, leading to relative hypovolemia and hypotension. The phrase “infection-induced distributive shock” points to septic shock because the infectious cause explicitly defines the etiology, whereas distributive shock alone could stem from noninfectious causes like anaphylaxis or neurogenic mechanisms. Neurogenic shock results from loss of sympathetic tone due to neural injury, and hypovolemic shock comes from actual loss of intravascular volume, not infection, so they don’t fit the description.