The failure of oxygen to reach the blood is called what?

• A. Hypoxia
• B. Drowning
• C. Suffocation
• D. Smothering

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how we describe when oxygen doesn’t get into the bloodstream. When air cannot reach the lungs—due to an obstruction or external pressure—the body experiences suffocation, a form of asphyxia. Suffocation directly describes the lack of air reaching the lungs, which prevents oxygen from entering the blood. While hypoxia refers to the consequence—insufficient oxygen in the body's tissues—it isn’t the mechanism itself. Drowning and smothering are specific scenarios that can cause suffocation, but suffocation is the general term for the failure of oxygen to reach the blood because breathing is blocked or restricted.