Drowning in freshwater kills many people around the world. Complications are multiple and sometimes impossible to treat. Fluid and electrolyte resuscitation is difficult because of all the physiological, biophysical and biochemical changes that decrease the rate of survival. Extreme lung injury and cardiovascular disorders are responsible for tissue hypoxia, increased production of inflammation markers, biosynthesis of reactive oxygen species and finally, multiple organ damage. Hypothermia, frequently associated with drowning, provides multiple benefits to this type of patients. Various studies have developed the idea that hypothermia protects the brain from biochemical mediators, thereby preventing neuronal cell destruction. In this case report we present the biological parameters and evolution of a patient drowned in freshwater, and also the benefits of hypothermia to the clinical picture.
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