cyanosis

American  

[sahy-uh-noh-sis] / ˌsaɪ əˈnoʊ sɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. blueness or lividness of the skin, as from imperfectly oxygenated blood.

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cyanosis British  

/ ˌsaɪəˈnɒtɪk, ˌsaɪəˈnəʊsɪs /

noun

1. pathol a bluish-purple discoloration of skin and mucous membranes usually resulting from a deficiency of oxygen in the blood

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Other Word Forms

• cyanotic adjective
• hypercyanosis noun

Etymology

Origin of cyanosis

First recorded in 1825–35; from New Latin, from Greek kyánōsis “dark-blue color”; cyan- ¹, -osis

Example Sentences

"The patient became cyanotic with blue lips, movements stopped, the muscles relaxed, deep breathing followed, cyanosis waned, and color returned to the lips as the patient was moved to a recovery room."

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2023

Some COVID-19 patients, however had the kind of very low saturations that we associate with cyanosis and respiratory distress—but they were comfortably speaking to us or texting on their phones.

From Scientific American • Apr. 3, 2020

At around 2:15 that day, employees of the plastic surgery office "discovered that Ms. Nguyen’s lips and face were blue and that cyanosis was quickly spreading to her upper extremities and torso."

From Fox News • Dec. 22, 2019

"Some victims suffered something called heliotrope cyanosis which was kind of a creeping blue which started in your fingertips, tips of your ears and nose and lips but you could go completely black," she said.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2018

In one case we found a marked cyanosis in the extremities.

From Benign Stupors A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction Type by MacCurdy, John T. (John Thompson)