What Causes Cyanosis?
Cyanosis (a condition of very low oxygen saturation with normal hemoglobin) may be caused by many reasons, including: abnormal hemoglobin levels, asthma, atelectasis, benzodiazepines drug overdoses, breath holding, bronchiolitis, cardiopulmonary arrest, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, croup, cyanide poisoning, cyanotic heart disease, drowning, epiglottitis, exposure to cold, foreign body aspiration, high altitudes, lack of fresh air, low oxygen levels in the air, methemoglobinemia, narcotics drug overdoses, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure, sedatives drug overdoses, seizures, shock, and suffocation. It is also caused by: • Methemoglobinemia results from abnormally high Methemoglobin (HbFe+2) levels. Considering that metHb is unable to bind with oxygen, as the HbFe+2 levels go up, arterial oxygen saturation goes down correspondingly, often resulting in Cyanosis. • Sulfhemoglobinemia
