Which data would the nurse expect to assess in a client diagnosed with neurogenic shock?

• A. The client has cool, clammy skin.
• B. The client's apical pulse is 56.
• C. The client has bilateral wheezing.
• D. The client urine will be diluted.

Answer: (B)

Neurogenic shock results from loss of sympathetic tone after a spinal cord injury, leading to widespread vasodilation and unopposed parasympathetic activity that slows the heart. The heart rate often becomes bradycardic because sympathetic input to the myocardium is diminished. So a slow apical pulse, like 56 beats per minute, fits this pattern. Cool, clammy skin would suggest hypovolemic or cardiogenic shock due to compensatory vasoconstriction, not the vasodilation seen in neurogenic shock. Bilateral wheezing points to a respiratory issue rather than a neurogenic shock picture, and diluted urine is unlikely because shock typically lowers renal perfusion, often reducing urine output and concentrating it rather than diluting it.