Lowering of blood oxygen partial pressure below 80% (normal values are above approximately 95%). This translates into a low level of oxygen in the blood.
It may be due to respiratory insufficiency due to a respiratory pathology (COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary oedema...), inspiratory difficulty, obstruction or damage to the lungs or airways (for example, foreign body in the larynx), altitude sickness (areas where the inhaled air has less oxygen), acute cardiac pathology or problems in the gas exchange in the alveoli.
Symptoms are: shortness of breath, choking, rapid breathing, headache, bluish colour (starting on lips and/or fingernails), increased heart rate, coughing, breathing sounds.
To diagnose it, vital signs will be taken (heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation), you will be asked about your medical history, you will be asked for a blood gas and/or blood test and a chest X-ray.
Treatment will depend on the severity and is based on oxygen therapy (invasive or non-invasive, as required), respiratory physiotherapy, bronchodilator drugs, corticoids, vasoactive drugs depending on each particular case.
If you have any of these symptoms and find it difficult to breathe, go to the nearest emergency department.
- R. Rodríguez. Insuficiencia respiratoria. Farreras Rozman. Medicina Interna. Volumen I. Duodécima edición. 707:719.
- J. F. McConville, B. Mokhlesi, J. Solway. Trastornos de la ventilación. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen II. Decimonovena edición. 1720:1723.
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Oxygenation and mechanisms of hypoxemia; [citado el 20 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/oxygenation-and-mechanisms-of-hypoxemia?source=search_result&search=hipoxemia&selectedTitle=1~150
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Arterial blood gases; [citado el 20 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/arterial-blood-gases?source=search_result&search=hipoxemia&selectedTitle=2~150
