A female patient experiences a sudden drop in blood pressure after initial stabilization following trauma. What is the least likely cause?

In the context of trauma management, after initial stabilization, a sudden drop in blood pressure can indicate several underlying issues. Inadequate resuscitation is often a primary concern leading to hypotension in trauma patients, so it is essential to consider it as a potential cause.

However, the least likely cause of sudden hypotension following initial stabilization would be inadequate resuscitation, assuming that the initial resuscitative efforts were effective. Patients typically present with a temporary stabilization in vital signs if they have received sufficient fluid or blood product resuscitation initially. Therefore, if the patient was initially stabilized, we would expect that ongoing fluid resuscitation or transfusion would likely prevent acute hypotension unless there was a new or unexpected complication.

In contrast, ongoing blood loss is a common issue following trauma and can easily lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure if the bleeding resumes or has not been fully controlled. Tension pneumothorax can rapidly compromise hemodynamics by trapping air in the pleural space and reducing venous return, resulting in acute hypotension. Traumatic brain injury can lead to neurogenic shock and other complications that may also result in hypotension. These causes are more closely associated with sudden changes in blood pressure in the post-stabil