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Blue bloater

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Blue bloaters have a poor respiratory drive.

Features include:

  • dyspnoea is quite mild
  • the patient is often obese
  • large volumes of sputum are produced
  • infective exacerbations
  • patient often oedematous
  • may develop cor pulmonale

Investigations:

  • blood gases - hypercapnia, hypoxaemia, elevated plasma bicarbonate, severe nocturnal hypoxaemia
  • airways obstruction may only be moderate
  • transfer factor approximately normal

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