Hypoxemia
Measures & Mechanisms
ðđāļĻัāļāļ์āļŠāļģāļัāļ
|
āļāļģ |
āļิāļĒāļēāļĄ |
|
Oxygenation |
āļāļēāļĢāđāļāļĢ่ O₂
āļāļēāļ alveoli →
pulmonary capillaries |
|
Oxygen delivery (DO₂) |
āļāļĢิāļĄāļēāļ O₂
āļี่āļŠ่āļāđāļāđāļŦ้āđāļื้āļāđāļĒื่āļ (āļึ้āļāļัāļ CO, Hb, SaO₂) |
|
Oxygen consumption (VO₂) |
āļัāļāļĢāļēāļāļēāļĢāđāļ้ O₂
āļāļāļāđāļื้āļāđāļĒื่āļ |
|
Hypoxemia |
PaO₂ <60 mmHg (āļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāļāļāļิāļĢāļ°āļัāļāđāļĨืāļāļāđāļāļ) |
|
Hypoxia |
āđāļื้āļāđāļĒื่āļāđāļ้āļĢัāļ O₂
āđāļĄ่āļāļ (O₂ delivery ↓ āļŦāļĢืāļāđāļ้āļĄāļēāļāļึ้āļ) |
Hypoxemia ≠ Hypoxia āđāļŠāļĄāļāđāļ
āđāļ่āļ anemia: PaO₂ āļāļāļิ āđāļ่ tissue
hypoxia
ðđMeasures of Oxygenation
(āđāļ้āļāļēāļāļ่āļāļĒ)
|
āļัāļ§āļี้āļ§ัāļ |
āļุāļāđāļ่āļ |
āļ้āļāļ่āļāļี้ |
|
SpO₂ |
Non-invasive |
Monitoring āļŠ่āļ§āļāđāļŦāļ่
(āļิāļāđāļ้āđāļ CO poison, metHb, shock) |
|
SaO₂
(ABG) |
āđāļĄ่āļāļāļ§่āļē SpO₂ |
āđāļĄื่āļāļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ SpO₂
error |
|
PaO₂ |
āļāļāļ dissolved
O₂ |
Hypoxemia: PaO₂
<60 mmHg |
|
A–a Gradient |
āđāļĒāļ V/Q
mismatch + shunt vs hypoventilation |
Hypoxemia workup |
|
PaO₂/FiO₂
ratio |
Severity ARDS |
ARDS grading: <300 (abnl),
<200 (mod/severe) |
|
SvO₂/ScvO₂ |
Tissue extraction |
Low in low CO states, sepsis
variable |
A–a Gradient Cheat Sheet
- āļāļģāļāļ§āļ: PAO₂ – PaO₂
- āļāļĢāļ°āđāļĄิāļāļāļ room air āđāļĄ่āļāļŠุāļ
Normal ≈ 2.5 + (0.21 × āļāļēāļĒุ)
āļŠูāļāļึ้āļ = alveolocapillary pathology
(V/Q mismatch, shunt, diffusion limit)
āļāļāļิ = hypoventilation āļŦāļĢืāļ low
PiO₂
(altitude)
PaO₂/FiO₂ Ratio (P/F
Ratio)
|
P/F |
āļāļ§āļēāļĄāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ |
|
300–500 |
āļāļāļิ |
|
200–300 |
Impaired gas exchange |
|
<200 |
Moderate–Severe hypoxemia → ARDS criteria |
ðđ6 Mechanisms of
Hypoxemia (āļāļģāđāļāļāļŠāļāļāđāļ้)
|
Mechanism |
A–a Gradient |
PaCO₂ |
Correction with O₂? |
āļัāļ§āļāļĒ่āļēāļāđāļĢāļ |
|
V/Q mismatch (MC cause) |
↑ |
N/↓ |
āļีāļึ้āļ |
COPD, asthma, PE, pneumonia |
|
Right-to-left shunt |
↑↑ |
N/↓ |
āđāļ้āđāļĄ่āļี āļ้āļ§āļĒ O₂ |
ARDS, atelectasis,
hepatopulmonary syndrome, intracardiac shunt |
|
Hypoventilation |
āļāļāļิ |
↑ |
āļี |
CNS depressant, neuromuscular,
OHS |
|
Diffusion limitation |
↑
(āđāļ่āļāđāļ§āļĨāļēāļāļāļāļāļģāļĨัāļ) |
N |
āļีāđāļ่āđāļĄ่āđāļีāļĒāļāļāļ |
ILD, emphysema |
|
Low PiO₂ |
āļāļāļิ |
N/↑ |
āļี |
High altitude |
|
Low O₂
content / carrying capacity |
āļāļāļิ |
N |
āļāļēāļāļĒัāļ hypoxia |
Severe anemia, CO poisoning,
metHb |
ðĐ Shunt = hallmark
āļāļāļ O₂ āđāļĄ่āļีāļึ้āļ āđāļĄ้āđāļŦ้ FiO₂ āļŠูāļ
Mnemonic āļāļģāļ่āļēāļĒ: “SHVDAL”
Shunt – Hypoventilation – V/Q mismatch – Diffusion – Altitude – Low Hb
ðđSpurious Hypoxemia
(Pseudo):
|
āļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุ |
Key clue |
āļāļģāļāļĒ่āļēāļāđāļĢ |
|
Leukocyte/platelet larceny (WBC
>55k or Plt >2M) |
PaO₂
āļ่āļģāđāļ่ SpO₂ āļāļāļิ |
āđāļ้ SpO₂/SaO₂
monitor āđāļāļ ABG |
ðđClinical Use – āļāļĨāđāļ → āļัāļ§āļี้āļ§ัāļ
|
Condition |
PaCO₂ |
A–a |
Response to O₂ |
Likely Mechanism |
|
Opioid overdose |
↑↑ |
N |
āļี |
Hypoventilation |
|
PE |
↓/N |
↑↑ |
āļีāļึ้āļāļāļēāļāļŠ่āļ§āļ |
V/Q mismatch (dead space) |
|
Lobar pneumonia |
N |
↑↑ |
āđāļ้āđāļĄ่āļีāļāļēāļāļŠ่āļ§āļ |
Shunt |
|
ILD |
N |
↑ |
āļāļāļāļāļģāļĨัāļāđāļĒ่āļĨāļ |
Diffusion limit |
|
High altitude |
N |
N |
āļี |
Low PiO₂ |
|
Severe anemia |
N |
N |
PaO₂ āļāļāļิ āđāļ่ lactate
↑ |
Low O₂ content |
ðđāļāļĨāđāļŠีāļĒāļāļāļ Hypoxemia
- Cellular
ATP depletion, lactic acidosis
- Free
radical injury →
membrane phospholipid damage
- Ca²⁺
overload →
cytoskeletal & mitochondrial damage
- Brain
injury irreversible āļ āļēāļĒāđāļ 4–6 āļāļēāļี
→ āļĢัāļāļĐāļē hypoxemia āļ่āļāļāļ้āļāļŦāļēāļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุāđāļŠāļĄāļ
|
ðđāļŠāļĢุāļ Decision Shortcuts (āļāļģāļ่āļēāļĒāđāļ ER/ICU) 1️⃣ āļ§ัāļ SpO₂ → āļ้āļēāļิāļāļāļāļิ → ABG |
Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure
1. āļิāļĒāļēāļĄāđāļĨāļ°āļāļĨāđāļ
- Hypoxemia
= PaO₂ < ~60 mmHg (āļ่āļēāļี่āļืāļāļ§่āļē
“āļิāļāļāļāļิ” āļĄัāļ <80 mmHg āđāļĨāļ°āļัāļāđāļāļāļ§่āļē hypoxemia
āđāļĄื่āļ <60)
- Hypoxia
= āļ āļēāļ§āļ°āļี่ O₂ delivery āđāļĄ่āļāļāļี่āļĢāļ°āļัāļāđāļื้āļāđāļĒื่āļ
(āļั้āļ systemic āļŦāļĢืāļāļāļģāđāļŦāļ่āļāđāļāļāļģāđāļŦāļ่āļāļŦāļึ่āļ)
āļāļĨāđāļ hypoxemia āļŦāļĨัāļ 6
āļ้āļ (āļĄัāļāļĄāļēāļāļāļ§่āļēāļŦāļึ่āļāļāļĨāđāļāđāļāļāļāđāļ้āļŦāļึ่āļāļĢāļēāļĒ):
1.
Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) mismatch
2.
Right-to-left shunt (anatomic + physiologic)
3.
Hypoventilation
4.
Diffusion limitation
5.
Reduced inspired oxygen tension (āđāļ่āļ
high altitude)
6.
Low mixed venous oxygen / reduced O₂
content (anemia, abnormal Hb, cyanide/CO/methemoglobin, leukocyte/platelet
larceny → spurious
hypoxemia)
āđāļ practice āļŠ่āļ§āļāđāļŦāļ่āđāļ็āļ V/Q
mismatch āļĢ่āļ§āļĄāļัāļāļāļĒ่āļēāļāļื่āļ
2. Initial triage: ABC + O₂ + treat
cause
āđāļĄื่āļāļāļāļāļāđāļ้āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ hypoxemia (dyspnea,
desat, tachypnea, wheeze, CP, shock āļŊāļĨāļŊ) āđāļŦ้āļāļģ
“āļŠāļēāļĄāļāļĒ่āļēāļāļāļĢ้āļāļĄāļัāļ”:
1.
āļāļĢāļ°āđāļĄิāļāđāļĨāļ° stabilize ABC
o Airway:
āļู patency, danger signs, āļ้āļāļ intubate
āđāļĨāļĒāđāļŦāļĄ
o Breathing:
RR, work of breathing, accessory muscle, SpO₂
o Circulation:
PR, BP, temp, shock sign
o āđāļ้ life-threatening problem āļัāļāļี (arrhythmia,
hypotension→
fluids/vasopressor, ACLS āļāļēāļĄāļāļģāđāļ็āļ)
2.
āđāļŦ้ oxygen āļัāļāļี
o āđāļĢิ่āļĄāļ้āļ§āļĒ device āļ่āļēāļĒāļี่āļŠุāļāļี่āļāļģāđāļŦ้ SpO₂
āļึāļ target (āļูāļŦัāļ§āļ้āļāđāļ้āļēāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ SpO₂
āļ้āļēāļāļĨ่āļēāļ)
3.
āđāļĢิ่āļĄāļĢัāļāļĐāļēāļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุāļี่āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒāđāļāļ empiric
āđāļāļāļĢ้āļāļĄāļัāļ
o āđāļ่āļ diuresis āļ้āļē cardiogenic pulmonary
edema, antibiotics + fluids āļ้āļē sepsis/pneumonia,
bronchodilator+steroid āļ้āļē AECOPD/asthma, chest tube āļ้āļē pneumothorax, anticoagulation āļ้āļē PE āļŊāļĨāļŊ
āļŦāļĨัāļāļāļēāļāļāļ stabilize āđāļĨ้āļ§āļึāļāļ่āļāļĒāļัāļāļŠิāļāđāļāļ§่āļēāļāļ°āļāļĒู่
ward / HDU / ICU āļāļēāļĄ severity āđāļĨāļ° trajectory
3. Oxygen & respiratory support: āđāļĨืāļāļ device
āļĒัāļāđāļ
3.1 āļāļāđāļ้āļ้āļāļāļāļēāļĢ O₂
āđāļĄ่āļĄāļēāļ (≤6 L/min)
First-line = low-flow oxygen
- Nasal
cannula
- āđāļ้āļŠ่āļ§āļāđāļŦāļ่, flow 1–6 L/min
- Simple
face mask
- āđāļ้āļ้āļēāļāļāđāļ้āļŦāļēāļĒāđāļāļāļēāļāļāļēāļāļĄāļēāļ / āđāļ้ cannula āđāļĄ่āđāļ้
(nasal packing āļŊāļĨāļŊ)
- Venturi
mask
- āđāļ้āđāļāļāļĨุ่āļĄāđāļŠี่āļĒāļ oxygen-induced hypercapnia (COPD āļŊāļĨāļŊ) āļี่āļ้āļāļāļāļēāļĢ FiO₂ āļāļ§āļāļุāļĄāļัāļāđāļāļ
(24–35%)
3.2 āđāļĄื่āļ O₂
>6 L/min āļŦāļĢืāļ work of breathing āļŠูāļ → “advanced
support”
āļัāļ§āđāļĨืāļāļ:
1.
HFNC (Humidified high-flow nasal cannula)
o FiO₂
āļāļĢัāļāđāļ้āļึāļ 1.0
o Flow
āđāļ้āļึāļ ~60 L/min āđāļĨāļ°āđāļŦ้ PEEP āđāļĨ็āļāļ้āļāļĒ (~<5 cmH₂O)
o āļĨāļ intubation āđāļĨāļ° escalation āļāļāļ
respiratory support āđāļāļŦāļĨāļēāļĒ study āđāļ่āđāļĄ่āļัāļāđāļĢื่āļāļ
mortality
2.
NIV (BPAP / CPAP)
o āđāļŦāļĄāļēāļ°āļัāļāļāļĨุ่āļĄ:
§ AECOPD
with hypercapnic acidosis
§ Acute
cardiogenic pulmonary edema
§ Acute
hypercapnia āļāļēāļ neuromuscular/chest wall disease
o āļāļēāļāđāļ้āđāļ hypoxemic respiratory failure āļāļēāļāļĢāļēāļĒ
(āļึ้āļāļัāļ guideline/center)
3.
High-flow O₂ āļāļ low-flow system
o āđāļ่āļ non-rebreather mask, scoop mask āļี่ flow
āļŠูāļ (10 L/min āļŦāļĢืāļāļĄāļēāļāļāļ§่āļē) āļ้āļē HFNC āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļŦāļĢืāļāđāļ้āđāļĄ่āđāļ้
āđāļāļĒāļĢāļ§āļĄāđāļ acute nonhypercapnic hypoxemic
respiratory failure āļี่āļ้āļāļ advanced support āļิāļĒāļĄāđāļĢิ่āļĄ HFNC āļ่āļāļ āļ้āļēāđāļĄ่āļĄีāļ้āļāļ่āļāļี้āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļāļ
NIV
4. āđāļ้āļēāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ SpO₂
/ PaO₂
4.1 General hypoxemic patients (āđāļĄ่āđāļ่āļ āļēāļ§āļ°āļิāđāļĻāļĐ)
- āđāļ้āļēāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāļี่āđāļ้āļ่āļāļĒ:
- SpO₂
90–96%
- āļŦāļĢืāļ PaO₂ ≥60 mmHg
- āđāļ้ FiO₂ āļ่āļģāļี่āļŠุāļāļี่āļāļē
SpO₂ āļึāļāđāļ้āļē āđāļื่āļāļĨāļ:
- oxygen
toxicity
- absorption
atelectasis
- CO₂
retention āđāļāļāļēāļāļāļĨุ่āļĄ
4.2 Special populations (āļĄีāđāļ้āļēāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāđāļāļāļēāļ°)
āđāļ่āļ ARDS, COVID pneumonia, COPD
hypercapnic, stroke, MI, pregnancy, CO poisoning, air embolism, acute chest
syndrome āļŊāļĨāļŊ – āļāļēāļĄ guideline āļāļāļāđāļ่āļĨāļ°āđāļĢāļ
5. āļāļēāļĢ monitor O₂
- āļŦāļĨัāļāđ āđāļ้ SpO₂ (pulse oximetry)
- āļ้āļāļ āļāļĢāļ§āļāļŠāļāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄāđāļĄ่āļāļāļĢั้āļāļŦāļึ่āļ āļ้āļ§āļĒ ABG (PaO₂/SaO₂)
āđāļāļĒāđāļāļāļēāļ°āđāļ:
- poor
perfusion, dark skin, nail polish, motion artifact āļŊāļĨāļŊ
- āļ้āļē oximetry āđāļĄ่āļ่āļēāđāļื่āļāļืāļ / āļ้āļāļāļู CO₂
āļ้āļ§āļĒ → āđāļ้ ABG āļ้āļģāļāļēāļĄāļāļēāļāļēāļĢ
- VBG
āđāļ้āļู pH + PCO₂ āđāļ้āļ้āļēāđāļื่āļ
SpO₂ āđāļ้ āđāļ่ āđāļ้āđāļāļ PaO₂
āđāļĄ่āđāļ้
6. Diagnostic workup āļี่āļāļ§āļĢāļĄีāđāļืāļāļāļุāļāļĢāļēāļĒ
āļāļģāđāļĄื่āļāļāļāđāļ้ stable āļāļāđāļĨ้āļ§āļŦāļĢืāļāļĢāļ°āļŦāļ§่āļēāļ
resuscitation:
1.
āļāļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļิ+āļāļĢāļ§āļāļĢ่āļēāļāļāļēāļĒāđāļāļ focus
o āđāļ้āļ: cardiac, respiratory, infection, anemia/bleeding,
malignancy, drug/toxin
2.
Lab āļื้āļāļāļēāļ
o CBC,
chemistries, LFT, coagulation, troponin, NT-proBNP āļŊāļĨāļŊ
o āđāļิ่āļĄ test āļāļēāļĄ differential (lactate,
cultures, viral panel, COVID/flu, tox screen, metHb, COHb āļŊāļĨāļŊ)
3.
Arterial blood gas (ABG)
o āļĒืāļāļĒัāļ hypoxemia
o āļู PaCO₂ + A–a gradient →
āļ่āļ§āļĒāļāļāļāļāļĨāđāļ
o āļāļēāļāļĢāļēāļĒāļ§ัāļ SvO₂/ScvO₂ āđāļื่āļāļู low cardiac output / high extraction
4.
Chest imaging
o CXR
āđāļ็āļāļื้āļāļāļēāļ
o āđāļิ่āļĄ bedside lung/heart ultrasound āļĢ่āļ§āļĄāļ้āļ§āļĒāļ้āļēāļĄี
o āļ้āļēāļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ PE/interstitial/malignant/alveolar disease → CTPA / HRCT / bronchoscopy
5.
ECG
o āļŦāļēāļĢāļāļĒāđāļĢāļ cardiac (MI, arrhythmia, RV strain, PE sign āļŊāļĨāļŊ)
7. āđāļ้ ABG āđāļĒāļāļāļĨāđāļ hypoxemia
(āļ่āļ§āļĒ narrow differential)
āđāļāļĒāļŦāļĨัāļ:
1.
PaCO₂ āļŠูāļ + A–a
gradient āļāļāļิ
→ āļึāļāļึāļ hypoventilation
āļĨ้āļ§āļāđ
o āđāļ่āļ CNS depression, neuromuscular, chest wall, severe obesity
hypoventilation
2.
PaCO₂ āļāļāļิ
(āļŦāļĢืāļāđāļĄ่āļŠูāļāļĄāļēāļ) + A–a gradient āļāļ§้āļēāļ
→ āļึāļāļึāļ V/Q
mismatch āļŦāļĢืāļ shunt
o āļāļāļāļŠāļāļāļāļีāļ่āļ O₂ → V/Q mismatch
o āļāļāļāļŠāļāļāļāļ้āļāļĒāđāļĄ้āđāļŦ้āļāļēāļ + FiO₂ āļŠูāļāļĄāļēāļ → āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ shunt (severe pneumonia, ARDS, intracardiac/pulmonary
shunt, hepatopulmonary syndrome)
3.
SpO₂ āļ่āļģāđāļāļĨāļ āđ
āđāļĄ่āļŠัāļĄāļัāļāļ์ PaO₂
o PaO₂
āļ่āļģ āđāļ่ SpO₂ āļāļāļิāđāļ WBC/platelet
āļŠูāļāļĄāļēāļ → leukocyte/platelet larceny (pseudohypoxemia)
o SpO₂
āļ่āļģ āđāļ่ PaO₂ āļāļāļิ +
āđāļĄ่āļีāļึ้āļāļ้āļ§āļĒ O₂ →
methemoglobinemia
o āļŦāļĢืāļ COHb āļŠูāļāđāļ CO poisoning
8. āļัāļ§āļāļĒ่āļēāļ “treat while you think”
– bedside fix āļี่āđāļāļāļ่āļāļĒ
- Cardiogenic
pulmonary edema →
diuresis, NIV (CPAP/BPAP), vasodilator
- AECOPD/asthma
→ bronchodilators,
systemic steroid, NIV āļ้āļē hypercapnia
- Sepsis
pneumonia →
antibiotics, fluid resus, source control
- Post-op
atelectasis →
incentive spirometry, pain control, mobilization
- Pneumothorax,
large effusion →
chest tube
- Suspected
PE →
anticoagulation ± thrombolysis
- Drug-induced
hypoventilation (opioid/BZD) →
antidote (naloxone/flumazenil) + airway support
- MetHb
/ CO poisoning →
high FiO₂, methylene blue / hyperbaric O₂
āļāļēāļĄāļ้āļāļ่āļāļี้
- Anaphylaxis
→ IM epinephrine,
airway, fluids āļŊāļĨāļŊ
9. āļāļēāļĢāļิāļāļāļēāļĄāđāļĨāļ° escalation /
de-escalation
9.1 āļ้āļēāļāļēāļāļēāļĢāļีāļึ้āļ
- āļĨāļ FiO₂ āļĨāļāļีāļĨāļ° step
→ āđāļāļĨี่āļĒāļāļāļēāļ
HFNC → low-flow
→ room air
- āđāļ้āļēāļืāļ SpO₂ āđāļāļ่āļ§āļāđāļ้āļēāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāļāļāļ°āļัāļ
- āļāļēāļāļĢāļēāļĒāļāļ§āļĢ test ambulation/overnight O₂
āļ่āļāļāļāļģāļŦāļ่āļēāļĒ
9.2 āļ้āļēāđāļĒ่āļĨāļ / O₂
requirement āđāļิ่āļĄ
1.
āđāļิ่āļĄ O₂
o low-flow
→ HFNC
o HFNC
→ āđāļิ่āļĄ FiO₂
āđāļĨāļ° flow (āđāļāļĨ้āļŠุāļ 60 L/min, FiO₂
~0.6–1.0)
o HFNC
āđāļāļĨ้āđāļ็āļĄ dose āđāļĨ้āļ§āļĒัāļāđāļĒ่ → āļิāļāļēāļĢāļāļē NIV/intubation
2.
āļĨāļāļ NIV āļ้āļēāļĄี
indication āđāļŦāļĄāļēāļ°
o trial
āļŠั้āļāđ (āđāļ่āļ ~2 āļāļĄ.)
o āļ้āļē RR, WOB, gas, mental status āđāļĒ่āļĨāļ → intubate
early
3.
Intubation & mechanical ventilation
o āđāļĄื่āļ HFNC/NIV fail, āļĄี severe distress,
hemodynamic unstable āļŦāļĢืāļ impending arrest
o āļāļĒ่āļēāļĢāļāđāļŦ้ arrest āļ่āļāļ intubate
āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ:
āđāļŠāļāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ