Blue bloater
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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