Metabolic shock is often a result of:

Metabolic shock occurs when the body's metabolic processes become severely disrupted, leading to inadequate cellular energy production. This condition often results from untreated severe illness, where the underlying medical issue impairs the body's ability to use oxygen and nutrients effectively. Severe illnesses can include a variety of conditions such as sepsis, major trauma, or prolonged hypoglycemia, which result in the body not receiving enough blood flow or nutrients necessary for normal cellular function.

In contrast, while bacterial infections can lead to septic shock, which is a specific type of shock associated with sepsis, not all bacterial infections necessarily lead to metabolic shock directly. Additionally, an inability of the heart to pump effectively describes another type of shock—cardiogenic shock—rather than metabolic shock, which focuses more on the body's overall inability to maintain metabolic function. A severe allergic reaction might lead to anaphylactic shock, but this is also a different physiological response. Thus, untreated severe illness is the principal factor leading to metabolic shock, emphasizing the importance of timely medical intervention for serious health conditions.