What specific condition results when large amounts of fresh water are inhaled due to lower solute concentration than blood?
Answer
hemolysis
Fresh water has a lower solute concentration compared to the body's blood plasma. When significant amounts of fresh water are aspirated, the osmotic pressure gradient causes this less concentrated fluid to rapidly move across the alveolar membranes directly into the bloodstream. This influx of fluid results in hemodilution—the blood becomes diluted. The key pathological consequence of this dilution is hemolysis, which is the destruction of red blood cells. Furthermore, this absorption increases the total blood volume, forcing the heart to work much harder to circulate the larger volume, which can precipitate issues like congestive heart failure.
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