Tom loves to soak in hot tubs and whirlpools. One day he decides to raise the temperature in his hot tub as high as it will go. After a few minutes in the very warm water, he feels faint, passes out, and nearly drowns. Luckily he is saved by an observant bystander. Explain what happened.

What will be an ideal response?


In response to the high temperature of the water, Tom's body shunted more blood to the superficial veins to decrease body temperature. The dilation of the superficial veins caused a shift in blood to the arms and legs and resulted in a decreased venous return. Because of the decreased venous return, the cardiac output decreased and less blood (and less oxygen) was delivered to the brain. This caused Tom to feel light-headed and faint, nearly causing his demise.

Anatomy & Physiology

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