[JNUS]

ANSWER

Near-drowning with aspiration of seawater secondary to hypoxia-induced unconsciousness:

The CT scan reveals alveolar-type attenuations throughout the lungs, with focused attenuation in the left lower lobe. Otherwise, the scan reveals a normal mediastinum and no pneumothorax.

A near-drowning is defined by Dorland’s as “survival for any length of time after submersion in water and temporary suffocation; it sometimes ends with secondary drowning”.3 The incident is further categorized as a wet near-drowning because the patient aspirated seawater. This is opposed to a dry process, in which laryngospasm prevents the aspiration of water.