suffocation
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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.
suf·fo·ca·tion
(sŭf'ŏ-kā'shŭn),The act or condition of suffocating or of asphyxiation.
suf·fo·ca·tion
(sŭf'ŏ-kā'shŭn)The act or condition of suffocating or of asphyxiation.
suffocation
Oxygen deprivation by mechanical obstruction to the passage of air into the lungs, usually at the level of the nose, mouth, LARYNX or TRACHEA.suf·fo·ca·tion
(sŭf'ŏ-kā'shŭn)The act or condition of suffocating or of asphyxiation.