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Cyanosis is one of the most common diseases in pediatric patients, it is caused by a deficiency of oxygen in the blood that circulates from the lungs to other tissues of the body.
There are several types of cyanosis, and generally, this disease indicates that there is a serious underlying condition that requires immediate medical attention.
With cyanotic disease, there is a mixture of blue blood (blood that has already been used by the body) with red blood (oxygen-rich blood from the lungs).
This mixing, sometimes called a right-to-left heart bypass, can be caused by a hole in the heart or by the presence of an abnormal blood vessel.
The word “cyanosis” literally refers to this blue condition.
Some people may have heard this called “blue baby syndrome.”
Some children with long-standing cyanotic heart disease symptoms also have short, flat fingers and puffy eyes.
Babies with cyanotic heart disease may have trouble feeding and decrease their appetite.
Older children with cyanosis may not have as much energy as other children their age, and exercise often makes the color blue worse and can cause shortness of breath.
Causes
Cyanosis usually arises when the person has difficulty breathing.
A complete lack of oxygen can occur due to trauma (such as suffocation, cold temperatures, or suffocation).
Individuals with diseases that involve the respiratory system such as asthma and emphysema are very prone to developing cyanosis.
This can be caused by hemoglobin problems, such as a form of disorder known as methemoglobinemia.
And the most common form are those chronic diseases that compromise the heart.
There are several heart defects that develop at birth that cause low oxygen levels in the blood.
Common defects associated with this disease include heart valves that are missing, malformed, or unable to open wide enough, and defects in or around the ventricles.
These defects can lead to low oxygen levels in the blood by preventing blood from traveling through the lungs to receive oxygen.
Some types of cyanotic heart defects in children include:
- Tetralogy of Fallot.
- Arterial trunk.
- Ebstein’s anomaly.
- Pulmonary valve atresia.
- Total anomalous pulmonary venous return.
Symptoms
Affected people may experience nails turning slightly blue.
When the condition is peripheral it also includes the extremities, such as the hands and feet.
Central cyanosis, which is a very serious form, causes the lips and tongue to turn blue.
Visible cyanosis is not present in all cases of cyanotic heart disease; the signs vary according to the particular congenital heart defects of each patient.
Diagnosis
The doctor may suspect an underlying heart or respiratory disease after a physical examination of the heart and lungs with the help of a stethoscope or by noticing their blue appearance.
To confirm the diagnosis and determine the underlying cause, the doctor will order tests that include:
- Chest x-ray
- Electrocardiogram .
- Holter.
- Echocardiograms.
- Cardiac catheterization.
- Stress test.
Treatment
Treatment of cyanosis usually involves treating the underlying cause of this bluish discoloration of the skin.
Generally, doctors perform a diagnosis to rule out respiratory or circulatory problems, exposure to poisons or extreme cold and thus be able to determine the cause that causes cyanosis and develop the most appropriate treatment plan.
Because the heart defects that cause cyanotic disease are present at birth and generally cause health problems, many patients are diagnosed and undergo surgery to correct defects as infants or children.
However, the severity of this disease varies from case to case, and some patients may delay surgery until adulthood (or avoid it altogether) by taking medications to control irregular heartbeat, open blood vessels, and remove extra fluids in the chest.
When surgery can no longer be postponed, adult patients can undergo procedures to treat abnormal heart valves, ventricles, and other associated problems.
In the most severe cases, a heart transplant is necessary.
Treatment for cyanosis caused by problems in the respiratory system is aimed at treating conditions that include asthma, pneumonia , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others.
When cyanosis is caused by low temperatures, treatment can be as simple as warming the body and allowing the patient to restore blood flow.
If the condition is due to the patient’s exposure to toxic substances such as lead, silver-containing products, chemical poisoning, drug or narcotic overdose, mix it with alcohol.
The first step in treatment is to eliminate contact with these elements, pumping or flushing the drugs into the stomach, prescribing an antidote, and administering oxygen to bring the levels back to normal.
