Which term describes a decrease in blood supply to a bodily organ, tissue, or part caused by constriction or obstruction of blood vessels?

• A. TTP
• B. Ischemia
• C. Infarct
• D. Ostomy

Answer: (B)

Ischemia is the condition where blood flow to a tissue is reduced because the supplying vessels are constricted or blocked. When oxygen delivery falls short of the tissue’s needs, cellular metabolism shifts toward less efficient anaerobic processes, which can impair function and, if the flow is not restored, lead to tissue injury. If blood flow resumes in time, function can recover; if not, the tissue may progress to infarction—death of tissue due to prolonged ischemia. The other terms refer to different concepts: infarct is tissue death from sustained ischemia, TTP is a blood disorder affecting clotting and platelets, and ostomy is a surgical opening created to divert waste.