Metabolic asphyxiation is the situation where a person's body has become severely deprived of oxygen, this can arise from carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, drug overdose, hanging, respiratory diseases, sleep apnea, prolonged exposure to chlorine gas, strangling, seizure amongst other causes. With a deprived oxygen supply, a patient can experience severe brain or organ damage, as the cells are starved of the oxygen, the body will suffer and if left untreated, will result in the patient's death.