I'm amazed at how many providers in the ICU still think about shock with approaches learned in pre-clinical med school...
its 2026, lets move away from
"Distributive, Hypovolemic, Cardiogenic, Obstructive" or "Pumps tubes pipes"
To:
Stroke Volume
Minute VTI
Congestion (right and left)
Fluid responsive
Fluid tolerant
Microcirculation
Hemodynamic Coherence
SVR
MAP responsive
LV-Arterial coupling
RV-PA coupling
Admittedly, the above is more complicated, but so is the physiology of a patient dying of shock! These patients are hard, but don't start shackled by mental frameworks that don't allow you to actually think about these issues.