blue bloater

Last reviewed 01/2018

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