- Cyanosis
- The bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes (for example, of the lips) due to there being insufficient oxygen in the blood. The word "cyanosis" comes from the Greek "cyanos" meaning dark blue.
* * *A dark bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin and mucous membrane due to deficient oxygenation of the blood, evident when reduced hemoglobin in the blood exceeds 5 g/100 ml. [G. dark blue color, fr. kyanos, blue substance]- compression c. c. accompanied by edema and petechial hemorrhages over the head, neck, and upper part of the chest, as a venous reflex resulting from severe compression of the thorax or abdomen; the conjunctiva and retinas are similarly affected.- enterogenous c. apparent c. caused by the absorption of nitrites or other toxic materials from the intestine with the formation of methemoglobin or sulfhemoglobin; the skin color change is due to the chocolate color of methemoglobin.- false c. c. due to the presence of an abnormal pigment, such as methemoglobin, in the blood, and not resulting from a deficiency of oxygen.- hereditary methemoglobinemic c. SYN: congenital methemoglobinemia.- late c. c. due to right to left shunt in congenital heart disease appearing only after cardiac failure. SYN: cyanose tardive, tardive c..- shunt c. any blue color of the entire skin or a region of the skin or mucous membrane due to a right to left shunt permitting unoxygenated blood to reach the left side of the circulation.- tardive c. SYN: late c..- toxic c. c. due to methemoglobin formation resulting from the action of certain drugs, e.g., nitrites.
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cy·a·no·sis .sī-ə-'nō-səs n, pl -no·ses -.sēz a bluish or purplish discoloration (as of skin) due to deficient oxygenation of the bloodcy·a·not·ic -'nät-ik adj* * *
n.a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from an inadequate amount of oxygen in the blood. Cyanosis is associated with heart failure, lung diseases, the breathing of oxygen-deficient atmospheres, and asphyxia. Cyanosis is also seen in blue baby, because of congenital heart defects.• cyanotic adj.* * *
cy·a·no·sis (si″ə-noґsis) [Gr. kyanos blue] a bluish discoloration, especially of the skin and mucous membranes due to excessive concentration of deoxyhemoglobin in the blood. cyanosed, cyanotic adj
Medical dictionary. 2011.