title: Physiology Of Drowning: A Review.
abstract: Drowning physiology relates to two different events: immersion (upper airway above water) and submersion (upper airway under water). Immersion involves integrated cardiorespiratory responses to skin and deep body temperature, including cold shock, physical incapacitation, and hypovolemia, as precursors of collapse and submersion. The physiology of submersion includes fear of drowning, diving response, autonomic conflict, upper airway reflexes, water aspiration and swallowing, emesis, and electrolyte disorders. Submersion outcome is determined by cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological injury. Knowledge of drowning physiology is scarce. Better understanding may identify methods to improve survival, particularly related to hot-water immersion, cold shock, cold-induced physical incapacitation, and fear of drowning.
authors.affiliation: Maatschappij tot Redding van Drenkelingen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; jbierens@euronet.nl.
authors.forename: Joost J L M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bierens
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland;
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lunetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Extreme Environments Laboratory, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom; and.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tipton
authors.affiliation: Departments of Anesthesiology, Neurobiology and Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology*; D004332:Drowning / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water