cyanosis

Examples of cyanosis in the following topics:

• Hypoxia

  • Severe hypoxia induces a blue discoloration of the skin as seen in Figure 1, called cyanosis.

• Heart Failure

  • Cyanosis which suggests severe hypoxemia, is a late sign of extremely severe pulmonary edema.

• Pneumonia

  • More severe symptoms may include central cyanosis, decreased thirst, convulsions, persistent vomiting, or a decreased level of consciousness.

• Congenital Heart Defects

  • Some children have no signs while others may exhibit shortness of breath, cyanosis, syncope, heart murmur, under-developing of limbs and muscles, poor feeding or growth, or respiratory infections.

• Pneumothorax and Hemothorax

  • Decreased blood oxygen levels are usually present and may be observed as cyanosis, or blue discoloration of the lips and skin.

• Adjustments of the Infant at Birth

  • During this transition, some types of congenital heart diseases that were not symptomatic in utero during fetal circulation will present with cyanosis or respiratory signs.