Cardiogenic Shock represents one of the most severe emergencies in cardiovascular medicine, characterized by inadequate tissue perfusion due to primary pump failure. This session provides a comprehensive framework for early recognition, hemodynamic assessment, and staged management of shock due to acute myocardial infarction, advanced heart failure, acute valvular lesions, or postcardiotomy states. Participants will learn to interpret clinical signs, laboratory markers, and bedside echocardiography to distinguish cardiogenic shock from other forms of shock and guide immediate treatment.

Many centers seek a cardiology conference to align protocols across emergency departments, cath labs, and intensive care units. This session reviews pharmacologic support with inotropes and vasopressors, highlighting how different agents affect cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, and arrhythmia risk. Attendees will examine decision pathways for urgent revascularization, mechanical circulatory support, and escalation from less invasive devices to veno-arterial ECMO when necessary. Case discussions emphasize the importance of timing, identifying patients who may recover with temporary support versus those requiring durable devices or transplant evaluation.

A central theme is building coordinated shock team management models that bring together interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, critical care, and heart failure specialists. Participants will learn how to establish activation criteria, communication channels, and shared decision-making frameworks that minimize delays. The session addresses logistics of patient transfer, resource allocation, and post-shock care, including weaning from support, managing complications, and planning for rehabilitation or palliative pathways. Quality improvement methodologies are highlighted as tools to track outcomes and refine protocols.

The session also explores future directions, including risk stratification tools, biomarkers, and AI-based prediction models that help identify shock earlier and tailor interventions more precisely. By the end, attendees will have a practical, systems-level understanding of cardiogenic shock—from first contact through definitive therapy and recovery—designed to improve survival and functional outcomes.