Hypoxemia is defined as what physiological condition?

Hypoxemia is specifically defined as a decrease in the arterial oxygen level in the blood. This condition can lead to various physiological effects since adequate oxygen levels are crucial for the proper functioning of organs and tissues. When there is a deficiency of oxygen in the arterial blood, it can result in symptoms such as shortness of breath, confusion, cyanosis, and increased heart rate as the body attempts to compensate for the lack of oxygen.

Understanding hypoxemia is important in clinical practice because it can help guide treatment decisions for patients, including the need for supplemental oxygen or other interventions to restore normal oxygen levels. Other choices, while they refer to different physiological states, do not represent a decrease in arterial oxygen levels and thus would not correctly define hypoxemia.