Several factors can affect oxygenation, including:
- Airway Obstruction: Conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or foreign body aspiration can obstruct airflow and reduce oxygenation. - Ventilation-Perfusion Mismatch: Conditions such as pulmonary embolism or pneumonia can cause a mismatch between air reaching the alveoli and blood flow in the pulmonary capillaries. - Hemoglobin Levels: Low hemoglobin levels, as seen in anemia, can impair the blood's ability to carry oxygen. - Cardiac Output: Reduced cardiac output, due to heart failure or other cardiac conditions, can decrease the amount of oxygenated blood reaching tissues.
