II. Pathophysiology
- Blood components responsible for Cyanosis
- Deoxygenated Hemoglobin > 5 g/dl or
- Methemoglobin >1.5 g/dl or
- Sulfhemoglobin >0.5 g/dl
III. Precautions
- Cyanosis appears when at least 5 g/dl of Hemoglobin is deoxygenated (desaturated)
- Anemic patients (e.g. Hemoblobin <10 g/dl)
- May not appear cyanotic despite Hypoxia
- Polycythemic patients (e.g. Hemoblobin >17-20 g/dl) such as those with COPD or Pulmonary Hypertension
- May appear cyanotic in mild Hypoxia
- Anemic patients (e.g. Hemoblobin <10 g/dl)
IV. Signs
- Blue coloration to skin and mucous membranes
V. Causes: Central Cyanosis (Cyanosis of the trunk and head)
- Airway obstruction (e.g. Airway Foreign Body)
- Asthma
- Interstitial Lung Disease
- COPD
- Atelectasis
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Hypoventilation (e.g. Altered Level of Consciousness)
- Pulmonary Edema
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonic stenosis
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Non-Hemoglobin related causes
- Methemoglobinemia
- Polycythemia Vera
- Myocardial Infarction
VI. Causes: Peripheral Cyanosis (local Cyanosis or extremity Cyanosis)
- Early in course of Central Cyanosis causes (that will progress to Central Cyanosis without intervention)
- Hypovolemia
- Cold extremities
- Raynaud Syndrome
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Venous Stasis
VII. Differential Diagnosis
VIII. References
- Degowin (1987) Diagnostic Examination, p. 335-6
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Related Studies
| Definition (CHV) | blue-colored skin caused by too little oxygen in the blood |
| Definition (CHV) | blue-colored skin caused by too little oxygen in the blood |
| Definition (NCI) | A bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from a reduced amount of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. |
| Definition (NCI_NCI-GLOSS) | Blue-colored skin caused by too little oxygen in the blood. |
| Definition (CSP) | blueness of the skin caused by excessive amounts of deoxyhemoglobin in the skin vessels. |
| Definition (MSH) | A bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to an increase in the amount of deoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood or a structural defect in the hemoglobin molecule. |
| Concepts | Sign or Symptom (T184) |
| MSH | D003490 |
| ICD9 | 782.5 |
| ICD10 | R23.0 |
| SnomedCT | 206899000, 119419001, 158252002, 3415004 |
| English | Cyanoses, [D]Cyanosis (context-dependent category), [D]Cyanosis, skin cyanosis, skin cyanosis (physical finding), Cyanosis of skin, cyanosis, Cyanosis NOS, unusual change in color of skin to blue (symptom), unusual change in color of skin to blue, Cyanosis [Disease/Finding], cyanosed, [D]Cyanosis (situation), CYANOSIS, Cyanosed, Cyanosis (finding), Cyanosis of skin (finding), Cyanosis |
| French | CYANOSE, Cyanosé, Cyanose SAI, Cyanose |
| Portuguese | CIANOSE, Cianose NE, Cianosado, Cianose |
| Spanish | CIANOSIS, Cianósico, Cianosis NEOM, [D]cianosis (categoría dependiente del contexto), [D]cianosis, [D]cianosis (situación), cianosis (hallazgo), cianosis, cianosis [dup] (hallazgo), cianosis cutánea Y/O mucosa, cianosis de la piel Y/O las mucosas, cianosis cutánea (hallazgo), cianosis cutánea, Cianosis |
| German | ZYANOSE, blaugefaerbt, Zyanose NNB, Zyanose |
| Dutch | cyanotisch, cyanose NAO, cyanose, Cyanose |
| Italian | Cianotico, Cianosi NAS, Cianosi |
| Japanese | チアノーゼ, チアノーゼＮＯＳ, ﾁｱﾉｰｾﾞNOS, ﾁｱﾉｰｾﾞ |
| Swedish | Cyanos |
| Czech | cyanóza, Cyanotický, Cyanóza, Cyanóza NOS |
| Finnish | Syanoosi |
| Russian | TSIANOZ, ЦИАНОЗ |
| Korean | 청색증 |
| Polish | Sinica |
| Hungarian | Cyanosisos, Cyanosis k.m.n., Cyanosis |
| Norwegian | Blåsyke, Cyanose, Blåfarging av hud og slimhinner |
Ontology: Peripheral cyanosis (C0235532)
| Definition (SCTSPA) | Hallazgo caracterizado por enlentecimiento del flujo sanguíneo hacia una región corporal periférica asociado con aumento de la extracción de oxígeno de la sangre arterial normalmente saturada |
| Definition (SNOMEDCT_US) | Disorder characterized by slowing of blood flow to a body region in association with an increase in oxygen extraction from normally saturated arterial blood |
| Definition (SNOMEDCT_US) | Finding characterized by slowing of blood flow to a peripheral body region in association with an increase in oxygen extraction from normally saturated arterial blood |
| Concepts | Finding (T033) |
| SnomedCT | 95442007 |
| English | CYANOSIS PERIPHERAL, Cyanosis peripheral, Peripheral cyanosis (finding), Peripheral cyanosis (disorder), peripheral cyanosis, Peripheral cyanosis |
| Dutch | perifere cyanose |
| French | Cyanose périphérique, CYANOSE PERIPHERIQUE |
| German | Zyanose peripher, ZYANOSE PERIPHER |
| Italian | Cianosi periferica |
| Portuguese | Cianose periférica, CIANOSE PERIFERICA |
| Spanish | Cianosis periférica, CIANOSIS PERIFERICA, cianosis periférica (hallazgo), cianosis periférica (trastorno), cianosis periférica |
| Japanese | 末梢性チアノーゼ, ﾏｯｼｮｳｾｲﾁｱﾉｰｾﾞ |
| Czech | Periferní cyanóza |
| Hungarian | Peripheriás cyanosis |
Ontology: Central cyanosis (C0521800)
| Definition (SCTSPA) | Forma de cianosis que se produce cuando existe disminución de la saturación de oxígeno en la sangre arterial, por lo general con una SaO2 menor de 75% |
| Definition (SNOMEDCT_US) | A form of cyanosis that occurs when there is a decrease in oxygen saturation in the arterial blood, usually with an SaO2 of below 75% |
| Concepts | Sign or Symptom (T184) |
| SnomedCT | 95837007 |
| English | Central cyanosis, CYANOSIS CENTRAL, Cyanosis central, central cyanosis, Central cyanosis (disorder) |
| Italian | Cianosi centrale |
| Japanese | 中心性チアノーゼ, ﾁｭｳｼﾝｾｲﾁｱﾉｰｾﾞ |
| Portuguese | CIANOSE CENTRAL, Cianose central |
| French | CYANOSE CENTRALE, Cyanose centrale |
| German | ZYANOSE ZENTRAL, Zyanose zentral |
| Czech | Centrální cyanóza |
| Hungarian | Centralis cyanosis |
| Spanish | cianosis central (trastorno), cianosis central, Cianosis central |
| Dutch | centrale cyanose |
