*Life-threatening Conditions – Hypoxia*
Hypoxia - hypo (low) and oxia (oxygen)
Anything that stops enough oxygen getting into and around our body is a potentially life-threatening condition.
As a first aider, it's important that you can recognise the signs of low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxia, so that you can treat the casualty appropriately until medical help arrives.
Hypoxia can occur when the airway, breathing and circulation systems are compromised for a variety of reasons including those listed below:
Airway
- Choking
- Vomit
- Anaphylaxis
- Stangualtion
- Obstruction by the tongue
- Hanging
- Burns
Breathing
- Asthma
- Poisoning
- Chest injury
- Crush injury
- Collapsed lung
- Anaphylaxis
Circulation
- Severe bleeding
- Heart attack
- Angina
- Cardiac arrest
- Electrocution
Signs of hypoxia
- Grey-blue tinge on the lips, skin and fingernails (cyanosis)
- Cherry red skin colour (in the case of carbon monoxide poisoning)
- Distressed breathing or gasping
- Confusion or dizziness
- Anxiety
- Nausea or vomiting
- Increased pulse rate
- Fast or slow heart rate
- Cough
Cyanosis and changes in skin colour
When the body is short of oxygen, it diverts blood away from the skin and stomach to where it is most needed - the heart, lungs and brain.
As a result of this, you will notice a change in the colour of the skin starting with the fingers and toes, then the lips and mouth and the eyelids. This is called cyanosis.
Darker Skin Tones
In a darker-skinned casualty with cyanosis the skin around the mouth may have a grey or whitish tint and the lower eyelid may look grey or bluish.
Lighter Skin Tones
In a lighter-skinned casualty with cyanosis, the skin, mouth and lower eyelid may have a dark bluish tint.