Hypoxia and Medicine

What is the difference between Hypoxia and Hypoxemia?

Public Comments

1. Hypoxia is decreased level of oxygen in your blood - like if you stop breathing, you become hypoxic because you're not taking any oxygen in. Hypoxemia is a lack of oxygen in your blood. I think Hypoxemia is when you have continued lack of oxygen, and hypoxia occurs when it's not a regular occurrence. I also think these two terms can be used synonymously. Hope that's helpful!
2. Hypoxemia is a deficiency in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in arterial blood.Decreased amount of oxygen in the blood. Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole (generalized hypoxia) or region of the body (tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. There are 4 types fo hypoxia. Hypoxemic hypoxia-oxygen has difficulty getting into the blood to get to the body or tissues.Low amount in blood,low availability to tissues. Histotoxic hypoxia-in which quantity of oxygen reaching the cells is normal, but the cells are unable to effectively use the oxygen (cyanide poisoning) Stagnant/circulatory hypoxia-in which there is a local restriction in the flow of otherwise well-oxygenated blood. The oxygen supplied to the region of the body is then insufficient for its needs.(cerebral ischemia, ischemic heart disease) Anemic hypoxia- in which arterial oxygen pressure is normal, but total oxygen content of the blood is reduced.(Not enough hemoglobin to carry the oxygen to the tissues,CO poisoning)
3. Always think of hypoxemia (emia - blood) and hypoxia as deficient tissue oxygenation