Chapter 25 Submersion Incidents: Drowning And Diving Emergencies Flashcards
(12 cards)
Drowning
Is an incident in which someone is submerged or immersed in a liquid that results in a primary respiratory impairment
Fatal Drowning
Occurs when the drowning results in death
Nonfatal Drowning
Occurs when a person survives a drowning incident with a range of outcomes from no permanent injury to, serious injury, to severe permanent disabilities
Surfactant
A substance that maintains surface tension in the alveoli to keep them from collapsing
Mammalian Diving Reflex
When a person dives into cold water (below 70F or 21C), the mammalian diving reflex can drastically slow down metabolism and make the patient more likely to be resuscitated, even after prolonged submersion
Gastric Distention
A condition in which the stomach fills with water, enlarging the abdomen to the point that it interferes woth the capability to inflate the lungs
Dysbarism
A medical condition that results from the effects on the body of changes in ambient pressure
Boyle’s Law
At a constant temperature, the volume of a gas is inversely related to the pressure. That is, as the pressure increases, the volume of the gas decreases, and as the pressure decreases, the volume of the gas
Dalton’s Law
The total pressure of a mixture of gases equals the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases that make up the mixture
Henrys Law
At a constant temperature, the amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid it is in contact with is proportionate to the pressure of the gas around it
Charles’s Law
All gases expand equally upon being heated. Thus, as a diver descends into cooler water temperatures, the inhaled and dissolved gases contract. As the diver ascends, the temperature increases and the gases expand
Decompression Sickness (DCS)
Also known as divers disease, the bends, or caisson disease, is a condition caused by dissolved gases coming out of solution to form bubbles inside the body on depressurization
