Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Hypoxemia (also spelled hypoxaemia) is an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood. [1] [2] More specifically, it is oxygen deficiency in arterial blood. [3] Hypoxemia is usually caused by pulmonary disease. Sometimes the concentration of oxygen in the air is decreased leading to hypoxemia.
Generalized hypoxia is a medical condition in which the tissues of the body are deprived of the necessary levels of oxygen due to an insufficient supply of oxygen, which may be due to the composition or pressure of the breathing gas, decreased lung ventilation, or respiratory disease, any of which may cause a lower than normal oxygen content in the arterial blood, and consequently a reduced ...
Potentially life-threatening hypoxemia is common in critically ill patients. [113] Localized hypoxia may be a complication of diabetes, decompression sickness, and of trauma that affects blood supply to the extremities. Hypoxia due to underdeveloped lung function is a common complication of premature birth.
By redirecting blood flow from poorly-ventilated lung regions to well-ventilated lung regions, HPV is thought to be the primary mechanism underlying ventilation/perfusion matching. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The process might initially seem counterintuitive, as low oxygen levels might theoretically stimulate increased blood flow to the lungs to increase gas ...
Respiratory failure is classified as either Type 1 or Type 2, based on whether there is a high carbon dioxide level, and can be acute or chronic. In clinical trials, the definition of respiratory failure usually includes increased respiratory rate, abnormal blood gases (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, or both), and evidence of increased work of breathing.
An abrupt stop of pulmonary gas exchange lasting for more than five minutes may permanently damage vital organs, especially the brain. Lack of oxygen to the brain causes loss of consciousness. Brain injury is likely if respiratory arrest goes untreated for more than three minutes, and death is almost certain if more than five minutes.
The body maintains a stable level of oxygen saturation for the most part by chemical processes of aerobic metabolism associated with breathing.Using the respiratory system, red blood cells, specifically the hemoglobin, gather oxygen in the lungs and distribute it to the rest of the body.
In COVID-19, the arterial and general tissue oxygen levels can drop without any initial warning.The chest x-ray may show diffuse pneumonia.Cases of silent hypoxia with COVID-19 have been reported for patients who did not experience shortness of breath or coughing until their oxygen levels had depressed to such a degree that they were at risk of acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and organ failure.