Submersion injury.

Submersion injuries are a relatively common problem for emergency physicians. The primary physiologic problem in these patients is hypoxemia, and virtually all complications are secondary to this. Resuscitation depends of reversing hypoxemia and acidosis, then correcting the associated medical problems. Aggressive measures should be taken for all such patients, even after prolonged submersion, especially in young victims or when the water temperature was less than 70 degrees F. Despite prompt and vigorous resuscitation, though, residual neurologic deficits and deaths continue to occur after submersion injury. Clearly, prevention is the most important factor in reducing the morbidity and mortality from these injuries.