life-threatening

life-threatening (comparative more life-threatening, superlative most life-threatening)

1. Potentially fatal.

   The life-threatening illness caused him to be rushed to the hospital, where doctors worked around the clock to save his life.

   • 2013 May 1, Nicholas Watt, Nick Hopkins, “Afghanistan bomb: UK to 'look carefully' at use of vehicles”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     The MoD said the injured men received immediate medical attention and were evacuated by air to the military hospital at Camp Bastion, but three could not be saved. Next of kin have been informed. The other soldiers hurt are not thought to have life-threatening injures.

   • 2023 November 15, Ian Prosser talks to Stefanie Foster, “A healthy person is a more productive person”, in RAIL, number 996, page 36:

     Prosser's focus on mental health in particular also led him to the (sometimes) life-threatening ways this can affect all of us, whether we work on the railway or not. In 2020-21, there were 247 suicides or suspected suicides on the national network - that's one every 35 hours.