Respiratory distress--how quickly will they turn blue?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello All, I am not sure if this is the right forum to post this, but... When a patient has respiratory distress, how long before a patient will turn blue?

Can't a person go bad really fast? We had a patient go bad really quick

It was almost like one moment the patient was fine, next the patient was in distress.

Thanks for all input

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

Turning blue is usually later sign.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Yes, a patient can go bad really fast. It depends on what is going on with the patient. In some of the cases I've seen, patients in respiratory distress turn a dusky-gray color. Turning blue is a later sign but hopefully the respiratory distress is treated before that ever happens.

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They won't turn blue until hypoxemia has occurred and oxygen perfusion is compromised, so if they are blue, then they have been in distress for awhile.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Yep, I rarely see pts turn blue. Hopefully, I've noticed their resp distress long before that happens.

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Specializes in ER, ICU,.

Possible PE?? Blue from chest up.

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i see circumoral cyanosis frequently...

leslie

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I think children and young adults, or people with high metabolic rates, might turn blue faster. I saw my toddler start a febrile seizure and he was blue within 20 seconds.

As an EMT, I had an 18 y.o. girl in respiratory distress. When we got there, she collapsed and turned grey. We put a mask on her and she was sucking the bag flat, 15L at 36 breaths/min. She pinked up again and her breathing was easing. Then when we met the paramedics, they took off the mask to get her O2 sat on room air - she went grey in about 10 sec. I never saw anyone move air like that girl, and I never found out what was wrong of course. Darn HIPPA.

OTOH, when I have seen elderly people stop breathing, they stayed pink.

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Specializes in Adult Cardiac surgical.
Hello All, I am not sure if this is the right forum to post this, but... When a patient has respiratory distress, how long before a patient will turn blue?

Can't a person go bad really fast? We had a patient go bad really quick

It was almost like one moment the patient was fine, next the patient was in distress.

Thanks for all input

It all depends on what is CAUSING the resp. distress. If it is a bronchospasm/laryngospasm then pretty quick-- I have seen pt's turn blue REAL fast. I will say, after working in the NICU, that kids turn blue real fast.

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