Question

multiple choice question
severe hemorrhaging will decrease blood pressure by doing which of the following?

• increasing blood volume
• decreasing peripheral resistance
• decreasing blood volume
• increasing cardiac output

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• "Increasing blood volume": Hemorrhaging (blood loss) reduces blood volume, so this is incorrect.
• "Decreasing peripheral resistance": Hemorrhaging primarily affects blood volume, not peripheral resistance directly in this context, so this is incorrect.
• "Decreasing blood volume": Severe hemorrhaging means a large loss of blood, so blood volume decreases. Blood pressure is related to blood volume (and cardiac output, peripheral resistance), so a decrease in blood volume from hemorrhaging lowers blood pressure. This is correct.
• "Increasing cardiac output": Hemorrhaging would typically decrease cardiac output (due to less blood to pump), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

C. Decreasing blood volume