North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) Practice Exam

What is the term for decreased oxygen in the tissue and metabolic acidosis?

1. Hypoxia

2. Asphyxia

3. Ischemia

4. Anaerobic metabolism

The correct answer is: Asphyxia

The correct answer is asphyxia, which refers to a condition where there is a significant deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues, often leading to metabolic acidosis. Asphyxia can result from various factors such as suffocation, obstruction of the airway, or any situation that severely compromises the oxygen supply to body tissues. This state leads to a combination of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and the accumulation of carbon dioxide and lactate, resulting in metabolic acidosis due to anaerobic metabolism. While hypoxia specifically refers to low oxygen levels, it does not inherently include the metabolic acidosis aspect. Ischemia is related to an inadequate blood supply to an organ or tissue, which causes a deficiency in oxygen and nutrients but does not specifically denote the resultant acidosis. Anaerobic metabolism occurs when the body relies on processes that do not require oxygen, leading to lactic acid buildup, but it does not capture the overall condition of asphyxia as a whole. Therefore, asphyxia encapsulates the vital components of decreased oxygen in tissues coupled with metabolic acidosis, making it the most accurate response to the question.