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The Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity Website and App

XXXVIII.h

XXXVIII - Miscellaneous - Varia

Hypoxemia, low oxygen saturation (may occur in isolation)

Last update 17/06/2026

(Fr: hypoxémie/désaturation isolée). Hypoxemia may reflect 1) Deteriorated VA/Q indicating early lung injury, cell sequestration in the distal pulmonary circulation 2) Ventilatory depression (see under IX a, c, d, e), in this case typically associated with a raise in arterial PCO2. See also under methemoglobinemia, a condition that commonly alters SpO2 readings. Rare instances of spurious hypoxemia from oxygen steal or larceny were described in high-WBC-acute leukemia patients receiving ATRA. Postoperative reopening of the foramen ovale may cause severe hypoxemia, sometimes positional (PMID 30619614)

Causative drugs

8

Frequency - Incidence

Incidence of cardiac adverse event(s) due to the specific drug as assessed by number of reported/published cases in the literature. Red digits in stars indicate: 0 = Very rare, questionable signal · 1 = < 10 cases · 2 = 10-50 cases · 3 = 50–100 cases · 4 = 100-200 cases · 5 = >200 cases

Evidence level/grade

Evidence level for cardiac adverse event(s) due to the specific drug as estimated using Hill’s (1965), Naranjo’s (1981), and Bégaud’s (1985) criteria applied to published cases. Blue digits in stars indicate: 0 = Questionable · 1 = Low · 2 = Moderate · 3 = Robust · 4 = Definite · 5 = Unquestionable, pathognomonic

Ado-trastuzumab emtansine
XXII.h
XXIV.a
XXIV.b
XXIV.c
XXIV.d
Anabolic androgenic steroids
III.a
III.b
VI.a
VI.b
VII.a
XII.b
XVI.e
XXIV.z
Cardioversion (electrical)
X.a
X.c
X.g
Clevidipine
Liposuction
II.j
XIII.a
XIII.f
XIV.a
XIV.f
XXXIII.o
Methadone
I.b
II.a
II.g
II.i
II.n
VI.c
X.b
XI.a
XIII.k
XXII.b
XXII.e
XXII.f
XXXV.b
XXXVIII.d
XXXVIII.h
Metoprolol
I.a
I.d
II.l
XXVIII.a
XXIX.a
XXIX.c
XXIX.o
XXXVI.b
Nitric oxide (NO)
XI.c
XXIII.a