Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: VI. Cause of death in aircraft accidents: drowning vs. traumatic injuries.
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between injuries and drowning as a cause of death in aircraft-accident fatalities. There are certain anatomic and chemical changes that are compatible with drowning, but there is no single change that is diagnostic of drowning. Drowning is a diagnosis that can be made only after all other causes of death have been excluded. Only after a complete review of the circumstances surrounding the accident and the performance of a thorough autopsy can a correct diagnosis be made when there is a possibility of drowning.
D000060:Accidents, Aviation; D001344:Autopsy; D004332:Drowning / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D056890:Eukaryota; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000150:complications; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology