blue bloater

A popular term for the appearance of a patient with COPD with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, normal to decreased lung capacity, increased residual volume with air-trapping, decreased expiratory flow, and characteristic arterial blood gas parameters—decreased PO2, increased PCO2—despite normal diffusing capacity, cyanosis and right heart failure, due to sleep apnea and progressive chronic pulmonary hypertension; with time, it becomes indistinguishable from other forms of COPD

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

blue bloater

A popular term for the appearance of a Pt with COPD with Sx of chronic bronchitis, normal to ↓ lung capacity, ↑ residual volume with air-trapping, ↓ expiratory flow, and characteristic arterial blood gas parameters–↓ PO₂, ↑ PCO₂, despite normal diffusing capacity, cyanosis and right heart failure, due to sleep apnea and progressive chronic pulmonary HTN; with time, it becomes indistinguishable from other forms of COPD. See Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 'Pink puffer. '.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

blue bloater

A medical slang term for a person with CYANOSIS and OEDEMA. Both can be caused by lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema which impede movement of oxygen from atmosphere to blood, causing cyanosis, and increase the strain on the heart leading to failure and an accumulation of fluid in the tissues (oedema).

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005