asphyxia

/æsfiksiə/ Cách viết khác : (asphyxy) /æs'fiksi/

Thân thiện

A lifeguard performs the Heimlich maneuver on a person experiencing asphyxia from choking.

Definition

Noun: A medical condition resulting from severely deficient oxygen supply to the body, typically caused by an interruption of breathing. This leads to unconsciousness or death if not relieved. The primary cause is the failure of the respiratory system to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide effectively.

Usage

The word "asphyxia" is a technical medical term. It is used to describe the state or cause of suffocation. - It is most commonly found in medical, forensic, and safety contexts. - It is typically used as a non-count noun (e.g., death by asphyxia).

Examples

• The autopsy report listed the cause of death as asphyxia due to strangulation.
• In cases of drowning, asphyxia occurs because water prevents air from entering the lungs.
• First responders are trained to recognize the signs of asphyxia in emergency situations.

Advanced Usage

• "Traumatic asphyxia": A specific type caused by a severe crush injury to the chest, preventing normal breathing.
• "Perinatal asphyxia": A condition occurring in newborns around the time of birth, where the baby does not receive enough oxygen.

Variants and Related Words

• Asphyxiate (verb): To cause asphyxia; to suffocate.
  • The smoke was thick enough to asphyxiate anyone trapped inside.
• Asphyxiation (noun): The act or process of causing asphyxia; suffocation.
  • The asphyxiation was determined to be accidental.
• Asphyxiant (noun/adjective): (A substance, such as a gas) that causes asphyxia.
  • Carbon monoxide is a dangerous asphyxiant.

Synonyms

• Suffocation
• Choking
• Smothering

Related Phrases and Idioms

Note: "Asphyxia" itself is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions due to its technical nature. However, related verbs are. - "To asphyxiate on": To suffocate because of a specific substance or object. - He nearly asphyxiated on the toxic fumes.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a condition in which insufficient or no oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged on a ventilatory basis; caused by choking or drowning or electric shock or poison gas