O2 Impairment @ Cellular Level

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Specializes in Pediatric CVICU.

I need some help, I have a test tomorrow & i understand O2 impairment @ cellular level is when the O2 delivery is localized but the only examples I was given was DVT, Tissue Hypoxia, Thrombocyst... can anyone offer me some more examples & reasoing for them, so that if I see something like it on the test I can ID it as cellular level? thanks for reading

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I remember asking one of my teachers a question about cellular vs. tissue hypoxia one day after class...he just kind of glared at me...lol...

Anyway, the only other example I can think of right off hand would be something like a pressure ulcer. ie, since the tissues are deprived of blood, nutrients - and along with that, oxygen. I think the examples you mentioned might be more likely to be on a test, though. Hope that helps...

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

oxygen impairment at a cellular level would result in hypoxia and eventually cell death. in the brain this would be primarily manifested as syncope (momentary loss of conscious) or even coma depending on how long the oxygen deprivation occurs. there might also be some cyanosis of the skin due to red blood cells primarily carrying carbon dioxide rather than oxygen which is not available to them. the brain would be the organ most affected at a cellular level with almost immediate manifestations because it's need for oxygen is the greatest compared to the other organs. the heart is the next organ of priority for oxygen. the cells of other organs take longer to manifest symptoms and that is why you would end up with tissue hypoxia manifesting as tissue infarctions (death of groups of cells) due to hypoxia. in an mi (myocardial infarction) a blood clot causes deprivation of blood to a portion of heart tissue which results in the affected heart tissue and cells being deprived of oxygen. arrhythmias usually result. after a certain number of minutes these cells infarct, or die, due to the lack of oxygen.

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Specializes in Pediatric CVICU.

thank you sooo much, i am so glad that i was able to gain a better perspective on this before test day tomorrow. thank you sooo much.

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thank you sooo much, i am so glad that i was able to gain a better perspective on this before test day tomorrow. thank you sooo much.

No problem. You owe me one now. ;) Go sign your name on my Serum Osmolality thread. I have a test on Wednesday and need help myself :(

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