asphyxiation

asphyxiation /as·phyx·i·a·tion/ (as-fix″e-a´shun) suffocation; the stoppage of respiration.

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Asphyxiation

Oxygen starvation of tissues. Chemicals such as carbon monoxide prevent the blood from carrying sufficient oxygen to the brain and other organs. As a result, the person may lose consciousness, stop breathing, and die without artificial respiration (assisted breathing) and other means of elevating the blood oxygen level.

Mentioned in: Smoke Inhalation

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asphyxiation

Etymology: Gk, a + sphyxis, without pulse

a state of asphyxia or inability to breathe.

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suffocation [suf″ŏ-ka´shun]

the stoppage of breathing; called also asphyxiation. If it is complete (no air at all reaches the lungs), the lack of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide in the blood will cause almost immediate loss of consciousness. Though the heart continues to beat briefly, death will follow in a matter of minutes unless emergency measures are taken to get breathing started again. Suffocation can be caused by drowning, electric shock, gas or smoke poisoning, strangulation, or choking on a foreign body in the trachea. Once the cause of suffocation has been removed, the most important first aid measure is artificial respiration.

risk for suffocation a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, defined as a state in which an individual has an accentuated risk of suffocation.