User:Mr. Ibrahem/Hypoxia (medical)

Hypoxia is a condition in which body tissues are deprived of adequate oxygen. When onset is sudden, symptom may include shortness of breath and fast heart rate. When moderate in severity, confusion and headache may occur, while in severe disease the skin may become bluish and the person may become unresponsive. When more gradual in onset, the initial symptom is often shortness of breath with exercise.

There are two main causes of hypoxia: low oxygen content in the blood (hypoxemia) and insufficient blood flow to tissue (ischemia). Hypoxemia can occurs due to pneumonia, asthma, COPD, pulmonary edema, foreign body aspiration, opioid overdose, pulmonary embolism, congenital heart defects, high altitude, carbon monoxide toxicity, and interstitial lung disease. Ischemia can occur due to an arterial blood clot, vasospasm, or peripheral artery disease. Hypoxia may also occur due to anemia, cardiogenic shock, and cyanide poisoning. Diagnosis is most commonly by pulse oximetry finding saturations of less than 90 to 95%.

Management may involve airway management, increasing the amount of oxygen being breathed, and improving the uptake of oxygen by the lungs. This may be achieved with measures that vary from the use of nasal cannula to endotracheal intubation. Hypoxia is common.