20- hypoxia series 2 of 4

KYJ20- Hypoxaemic Hypoxia
This post is part 2 of a 4 part miniseries on the concept of Hypoxia.  Recapping- hypoxia is the term used to describe a cell or group of cells that do not gave adequate oxygen; literally hypoxia means low oxygen.

If you missed it our first post looked at Histotoxic hypoxia, this post looks at Hypoxaemic hypoxia.

Let's start with the concept that the cells of the body get oxygen delivered directly through diffusion from the blood stream.

This would imply that oxygen is carried in the blood, and it is. 97% of all oxygen carried in blood is bound to a red blood cell protein called haemoglobin, and is normally measured as a saturation percentage between 94-99%. The other three percent is dissolved in plasma and measured as a partial pressure between 80-100mmHg in arterial blood (40mmHg in veins).

When blood oxygen levels drop below normal, this is called Hypoxaemia.  Hypo =low, ox= oxygen, and aemia=blood.

Hypoxaemia = low blood oxygen.

Now, to ensure adequate cellular oxygen delivery, we need to ensure adequate blood oxygen concentration. Hypoxaemia will cause hypoxia.

So there you have it Hypoxaemic hypoxia is hypoxia caused because blood oxygen levels were too low.

The common cause is respiratory failure, due to lung infections, oedema or bronchial exudate, constriction and alveoli collapse (pneumonia).

Often the patient experiencing Hypoxaemic hypoxia, will have breathlessness as a central focus, but will always be poorly saturated.

Treatment... Oxygen. And manage the cause of hypoxaemia.

Go ahead... Fix dem lungs!