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Though usually preventable, drowning remains a major cause of accidental death in our society. The lethal common denominator in drowning and neardrowning deaths is hypoxia. Aggressive treatment both at the scene and in the hospital is recommended even in those who initially appear lifeless. Hypothermia and the diving reflex probably explain the incredible survival stories in neardrowning. Remember the maxim in cold water immersion: "One is not dead until warm and dead!"
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