Which of the following is NOT a listed cause of hypovolemic shock?

• A. Traumatic hemorrhage
• B. GI bleed
• C. Ectopic pregnancy rupture
• D. Myocardial infarction

Answer: (D)

Hypovolemic shock happens when there isn’t enough circulating blood volume to fill the vessels, so preload and cardiac output fall despite the heart pumping. The scenarios that cause this are actual loss of blood or fluids: traumatic hemorrhage and GI bleed directly reduce blood volume, and rupture of an ectopic pregnancy can cause internal bleeding and rapid volume loss. Myocardial infarction, on the other hand, primarily injures the heart’s pumping ability, leading to cardiogenic shock from pump failure rather than from reduced blood volume. So the option that is not a cause of hypovolemic shock is myocardial infarction.