Which statement correctly identifies septic shock?

• A. It results from dehydration.
• B. It results from brain injury.
• C. It results from allergic reaction.
• D. It results from severe infection.

Answer: (D)

Septic shock happens when a severe infection triggers a body-wide inflammatory response that causes widespread blood vessel dilation and leakage, leading to dangerously low blood pressure and poor perfusion of organs. The infection itself is what initiates this cascade, making severe infection the root cause of septic shock.

Dehydration causes hypovolemic shock from reduced circulating volume; brain injury can lead to neurogenic shock due to loss of autonomic vascular tone; an allergic reaction can cause anaphylactic shock from rapid, widespread vasodilation and airway compromise. These are different pathways to shock, not septic shock, which is specifically tied to a severe infection.