asphyxia (redirected from asphyxiants)

as·phyx·i·a  (s-fks-)

n.

A condition in which an extreme decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to loss of consciousness or death. Asphyxia can be induced by choking, drowning, electric shock, injury, or the inhalation of toxic gases.

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[New Latin, from Greek asphuxi, stopping of the pulse : a-, not; see a-¹ + sphuxis, heartbeat (from sphuzein, sphug-, to throb).]

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asphyxia [ass-fix-ee-a]

Noun

unconsciousness or death caused by lack of oxygen [Greek a- without + sphuxis pulse]

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asphyxia  (s-fks-)

A condition characterized by an extreme decrease in the amount of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase of carbon dioxide, caused by an an inability to breathe. Asphyxia usually results in loss of consciousness and sometimes death.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

asphyxia - 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 physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state - the condition or state of the body or bodily functions hypoxia - oxygen deficiency causing a very strong drive to correct the deficiency hypercapnia, hypercarbia - the physical condition of having the presence of an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the circulating blood