This scheduling tool is for NEW cardiology patient visits. Please take 5–10 minutes to answer a few questions about your child to make sure the right type of appointment is scheduled. If you would like to schedule with a live person, call 513-636-4432.
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Please note:
Online scheduling for Cardiology is available to patients 0–18 years old.
For the types of appointments listed below, call the Scheduling Center at 513-636-4432 to schedule an appointment.If you want to schedule an appointment at one of our Greater Louisville or Western Kentucky locations, call 502-584-3200.
If your child needs more testing, this will occur at a future appointment.
Please bring your child’s prior medical records to their appointment.
Cyanosis refers to a bluish-purple color of the skin. It is most easily seen where the skin is thin, such as the lips, mouth, earlobes and fingernails.
Cyanosis means there may be decreased oxygen in the bloodstream. It may suggest a problem with the lungs or heart. Cyanosis is a finding based on what is seen, not by a laboratory test.
“Acrocyanosis” refers to cyanosis found in the arms and legs, particularly the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It can also be seen on the skin around the lips. Acrocyanosis is often normal in babies, as long as no cyanosis is present in the central part of the body. Children may have acrocyanosis when they are cold (such as swimming in cold water) but it should go away once they are warmed up.
“Central cyanosis” refers to cyanosis found on “central” parts of the body, including the mouth, head and torso. Central cyanosis is never normal in the newborn period and is almost always linked to a lower amount of oxygen in the blood. It could be due to a problem of the heart, lungs or blood.
Parents can usually recognize cyanosis, but it is not always easy, even for doctors. This is especially true in children with darker skin.
The best way to look for cyanosis is to look at the nail beds, lips and tongue, and to compare them to someone with the same color skin. A parent or sibling serve as a good comparison.
First, do not panic. Second, examine your child. Cyanosis found only on the hands, the feet and the area around the lips is known as acrocyanosis and is a normal finding in babies.
Cyanosis on the lips, tongue, head or torso is central cyanosis, and should be promptly evaluated by a doctor.
Central cyanosis occurs because blood changes color based on the presence (or absence) of oxygen. Red blood is oxygen rich, but blood with less oxygen turns blue or purple. Red blood flowing through the tiny vessels in the skin produces a healthy red-pink color. Blue blood is oxygen poor and causes a bluish-purple tint to the skin.
Cyanosis is usually caused by abnormalities of the heart, the lungs or the blood. Under normal conditions, after receiving oxygen from the lungs, red (oxygen rich) blood is delivered from the heart to the rest of the body. When it returns to the heart, the blue (oxygen poor) blood is directed to the lungs to collect more oxygen.
Abnormalities in the lungs can prevent oxygen from entering the blood, which can lead to cyanosis. Some examples of lung abnormalities that can lead to cyanosis include:
Blue blood (oxygen poor) returns to the right side of the heart and is pumped to the lungs where it receives oxygen and turns red. The red blood (oxygen rich) then goes to the left side of the heart and is pumped to the body. As blood circulates through the body, organs take oxygen away and make it turn blue. The blue blood then returns to the right side of the heart and back to the lungs to receive oxygen and become red again.
The term cyanotic heart disease refers to a group of congenital (present at birth) heart defects that cause cyanosis in infants and children.
Not all heart or lung disease is linked with cyanosis. Not having cyanosis may be reassuring, but it does not exclude the possibility of a heart defect.
Cyanosis in congenital heart defects results when blue blood (oxygen poor) does not reach the lungs to make red blood, or when red blood (oxygen rich) is mixed with blue blood before it returns to the body. This can be the result of many reasons and is specific to the type of congenital heart defect. Some examples are:
It depends. First, your doctor will gather more historical information, examine your child and get an oxygen saturation measurement. This latter test is painless, does not involve needles, and is a special lighted “bandage” probe placed on a finger or toe for a few minutes while the oxygen level is measured. This test will definitively determine if the level of oxygen is normal or low.
Depending on the findings, your doctor may be able to provide reassurance, or they may decide that further evaluation is necessary.
Your doctor may also decide that a consultation with a specialist is needed. They may request the services of a heart or lung specialist, the emergency room, or doctors specialized in intensive care.
Most cyanosis in children is a result of “acrocyanosis” and does not need treatment. If there is a primary lung or heart issue, the underlying condition causing the cyanosis will be treated either medically or surgically.
Last Updated 03/2024
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