2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A

author(s)
Pratibha Yadav, Pukhraj Garg, Rohit Yadav, Bharti Lal and Vijesh Choudhary

abstract
Shock is a critical medical emergency in paediatric patients, characterized by inadequate tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery, leading to potential multi-organ failure and death if not managed promptly. The causes of shock in children are varied and often age-dependent, ranging from infections and dehydration to metabolic and cardiac conditions. This study was conducted to analyse the pathogenetic types of shock among paediatric patients and to examine their distribution in relation to age and gender. The study aimed to (1) examine the distribution of pathogenetic types of shock among paediatric patients with respect to age and gender, and (2) assess the association between these demographic variables and the type of shock using chi-square analysis. A retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted using hospital records of 207 paediatric patients, aged 1 month to 15 years, admitted with clinical diagnosis of shock in a tertiary care hospital. Data on age, gender, and type of shock were extracted and analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the association between demographic variables and type of shock. Septic shock was the most common type, accounting for 36.7% of cases, followed by hypovolemic shock (18.3%), dengue shock (14.9%), and cardiogenic shock (13.5%). A statistically significant association was observed between age and type of shock (?² = 76.99, p < 0.05), indicating that the occurrence of shock types varied significantly across different age groups. However, the association between gender and type of shock was not statistically significant (?² = 6.10, p > 0.05), suggesting that gender did not influence the type of shock experienced. The study concludes that age is a significant factor influencing the type of shock in paediatric patients, with septic and hypovolemic shock being predominant in younger age groups, while dengue shock and DKA with shock are more common in older children. Gender does not appear to significantly affect shock type distribution. These findings highlight the need for age-specific diagnostic strategies and clinical preparedness to improve paediatric shock management and outcomes.