Final answer:
The term to describe a patient's condition with a pulse oximetry reading of 88% is hypoxemia, indicating a lower than normal level of oxygen in the blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
An EKG technician obtains a pulse oximetry reading of 88% from a patient. The appropriate term to describe the patient's condition is hypoxemia. Pulse oximetry is used to measure the percent saturation of oxygen in the blood, which is the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen. Normal readings are typically between 95-100%. An 88% reading suggests a lower than normal level of oxygen in the patient's blood, indicating hypoxemia. Hypoxemia can lead to hypoxia, which is a more general term for a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues.