Effects of Drowning on the Body Assignment
Effects of Drowning on the Body PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Drowning occurs when a person is submerged in water. The principal physiologic consequences of immersion injury are prolonged hypoxemia and acidosis, as a result of immersion in any fluid medium. The most important contribution to morbidity and mortality resulting from near drowning is hypoxemia and its consequent metabolic effects.
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Immersion may produce panic with its respiratory responses or may produce breath holding in the individual. Beyond the breakpoint for breath-hold, the victim reflexly attempts to breathe and aspirates water. Asphyxia leads to relaxation of the airway, which permits the lungs to take in water in many individuals (‘wet drowning’). Approximately 10-15% of individuals develop water-induced spasm of the air passage, laryngospasm, which is maintained until cardiac arrest occurs and inspiratory efforts have ceased. These victims do not aspirate any appreciable fluid (‘dry drowning’). It is still controversial whether such a drowning occurs or not.(5)
Wet drowning is caused by inhaling large amounts of water into the lungs. Wet drowning in fresh water differs from salt water drowning in terms of the mechanism for causing suffocation. However, in both cases water inhalation leads to damage to the lungs and interfere with the body’s ability to exchange gases. If fresh water is inhaled, it passes from the lungs to the bloodstream and destroys red blood cells. If salt water is inhaled, the salt causes fluid from the body to enter the lung tissue displacing the air.
The pathophysiology of near drowning is intimately related to the multiorgan effects secondary to hypoxemia and ischemic acidosis. Depending upon the degree of hypoxemia and resultant acidosis, the person may develop cardiac arrest and central nervous system (CNS) ischemia.CNS damage may occur because of hypoxemia sustained during the drowning episode per se or may occur secondarily because of pulmonary damage and subsequent hypoxemia. Additional CNS insult may result from concomitant head or spinal cord injury.
Although differences observed between freshwater and saltwater aspirations in electrolyte and fluid imbalances are frequently discussed, they rarely of clinical significance for people experiencing near drowning. Most patients aspirate less than 4 ml/kg of fluid. 11 ml/kg is required for alterations in blood volume, and more than 22 ml/kg of aspiration is required before significant electrolyte changes develop. Regardless, most patients are hypovolemic at presentation because of increased capillary permeability from hypoxia resulting in losses of fluid from the intravascular compartment. Hyponatremia may develop from swallowing large amounts of fresh water.
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