fresh water drowning

A type of drowning in which hypo-osmolar water compromises the surface tension of alveolar surfactant, causing an imbalance in the ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) ratio, with a collapse of some alveoli, and both true—absolute—and relative intrapulmonary shunting

fresh water drowning

A type of drowning in which hypo-osmolar water compromises the surface tension of alveolar surfactant, causing an imbalance in the ventilation-perfusion–V/Q ratio, with a collapse of some alveoli, and both true–absolute, and relative–intrapulmonary shunting. See Drowning. Cf Salt water drowning.