Cyanosis facts for kids
 Cyanosis of the fingertips and nail beds.
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| ICD-10 | R23.0 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 782.5 |
| eMedicine | med/3002 |
Cyanosis is a medical problem. When a person has cyanosis, their skin and mucous membranes turn blue or purple. Cyanosis is a sign that the cyanotic (blue) parts of the body are not getting enough blood and oxygen. This can happen because there is not enough oxygen in the blood. It can also happen when small blood vessels in the body get smaller because of a medical problem (this is called vasoconstriction).
Usually cyanosis is first seen in the extremities (the parts of the body that are farthest away from the heart). Usually the first parts of the body to become cyanotic are the fingertips (especially under the fingernails), the toes, the lips, the tip of the nose, and the earlobes. As the body goes longer without oxygen, more of the body becomes cyanotic.
Images for kids
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Child with congenital heart disease with central cyanosis that is worsened by measles. Note the bluish-purple discoloration of the fingernails, lips, eyelids, and nose, along with prominent nail clubbing.
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Initial direction of blood flow in patients with patent ductus arteriosus. Once the pressure of the pulmonary arteries increases more than the aorta due to right heart hypertrophy, the direction of blood flow reverses, sending deoxygenated blood through the patent duct directly into the descending aorta while sparing the brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid, and left subclavian artery, therefore causing the differential cyanosis.
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Another example of cyanosis in an elderly individual with darker skin pigmentation. Note the dark purple hue of the lips.
See also
In Spanish: Cianosis para niños
