Apatient was admitted to the hospital medical floor with a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the airways. his wife asks the nurse why his skin looks blue. you explain that the bluish discoloration of skin, called cyanosis, results from reduced levels of in the blood.

In the case of chronic bronchitis or chronic inflammation of the airways, cyanosis or the bluish discoloration of the skin results from the reduced levels of oxygen in the blood. With reduced oxygen levels, the blood in the arteries will not be bright red in color but rather be brownish just like venous blood and this reflects in the skin as bluish in color.