How can hypoxemia be differentiated from hypoxia?

Hypoxia specifically refers to reduced oxygen levels in the tissues, which can occur even when blood oxygen levels are adequate. This distinction is critical because hypoxia addresses the sufficiency of oxygen at the cellular level, while hypoxemia pertains to oxygen concentration in the blood. Therefore, one can have hypoxia resulting from various conditions, such as anemia or carbon monoxide poisoning, which may not necessarily involve low blood oxygen levels.

The other choices provide misleading information. For instance, hypoxemia is characterized by low oxygen pressure in the arterial blood, directly impacting tissue oxygenation but is not accurately defined as a condition occurring exclusively during fetal distress or limited to specific situations. Additionally, stating that hypoxia can only occur with blood flow issues overlooks situations where the blood may be adequately oxygenated, yet the tissues still do not receive enough oxygen due to other physiological complications.