refers to a condition whereby the level of oxygen in the blood falls below normal, while the proportion of carbon dioxide increase – for example, in a fire. It may be associated with labored or difficult breathing and marked by signs of pallor. Causes include choking, drowning, electric shock, inhaled smoke or toxic fumes, or any other disease or injury involving the respiratory system,
ASPHYXIA: “A person experiencing asphyxia has difficulty breathing due to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and reduced levels of oxygen.”