Asphyxia

The medical term for suffocation. Asphyxia may be caused by the obstruction of a large airway, usually by a foreign body (see choking), by insufficient oxygen in the surrounding air (as occurs when a closed plastic bag is put over the head), or by poisoning with a gas such as carbon monoxide that interferes with the uptake of oxygen into the blood. First-aid treatment is by artificial respiration after clearing the airway of obstruction. Untreated asphyxia leads to death within a few minutes.