Citation

Barwood M. Int. J. Aquatic Res. Educ. 2018; 11(2).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Bowling Green State University)

DOI

10.25035/ijare.11.02.10

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death. In cold-water, sudden skin cooling triggers the life-threatening cold shock response (CSR). The respiratory component of the CSR includes an inspiratory gasp and uncontrollable hyperventilation both of which increase the risk of water entering the airway and lungs leading to death by drowning. We estimate that this component of the response accounts for 90% of unintentional drowning. The cardiovascular component is also hazardous and includes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and reduction in peripheral blood vessel diameter (i.e. vasoconstriction) thereby increasing cardiovascular strain. Abnormal heart rhythms (i.e. arrhythmias) are also likely to occur. We estimate approximately 10% of drowning cases can be attributed to a cardiovascular mechanism of impairment. Collectively, any intervention that reduces or increases the CSR may, in part, alter the risk of death by drowning on accidental immersion. Clearly it would be advantageous to know before accidental immersion occurs which variables are likely to influence the extent of the CSR and who is at greatest risk. For example, to date it is known that some CSR components can be reduced by habituation (i.e. reduced response to stimulus of same magnitude) induced by 3 to 5 short cold-water immersions (CWI). Other factors known to alter the CSR include but are not limited to aerobic fitness, prior training and rate of water entry.

Purpose: In the present research we have been exploring if we can predict the magnitude of the CSR with key variables collected prior to immersion with a focus on psychological components. In previous experiments we have shown that high levels of anxiety, a plausible emotion during the life-threatening situation of CWI: magnifies the CSR in participants who are not accustomed to CWI (i.e. unhabituated participants), reverses habituated components of the CSR and prevents/delays habituation when high levels of anxiety are experienced concurrent to immersions suggesting anxiety is integral to the CSR. Accordingly we examined whether prior ratings of acute anxiety are predictive of components of the CSR during immersion. Secondly, we sought to examine whether anxiety ratings correlated with components of the CSR during immersion. We were also interested if these relationships were changed by undergoing habituation (i.e. repeated immersions in to cold water). These possibilities were assessed with a view to developing a list of plausible predictors of the CSR in order to protect those at greatest risk of drowning if accidentally immersed.

Language: en