Asphyxiation is the medical term for what condition?

• A. Too much oxygen in the blood
• B. Excessive carbon dioxide in the blood
• C. Lack of oxygen in the blood due to suffocation
• D. Blockage of airways from swelling

Answer: (C)

Asphyxiation is the state of the body not getting enough oxygen because breathing is blocked or air can’t reach the lungs. The defining idea is oxygen deprivation in the blood due to an inability to breathe, which is why the correct description says a lack of oxygen in the blood caused by suffocation.

The other options describe different things: having too much oxygen in the blood isn’t what asphyxiation is, and excessive carbon dioxide in the blood can accompany asphyxia but isn’t the defining feature. A blockage of the airways from swelling can cause suffocation and lead to asphyxia, but the term itself centers on the resulting oxygen shortage rather than the swelling alone.