Cold Water Facial Immersions | Lecture Note

University:
The University Of Western Ontario
Course:
ANAT 2200B | Systemic Anatomy of the Human Body
Academic year:

2022
Views:

495

Pages:

2
Author:

Kyuwon J.

Cold water facial immersions ● Autonomic reflex on cold stimulation of face ○ Around nose and forehead ■ Bradycarida ● Increase in vagal tones ● Peripheral vasoconstriction ○ Increase in level of sympathetic tones to vessels ● Preferential preservations ○ Blood flow to vital organ increase ○ Breath-hold diving Physiology + pathway ● Trigger ○ Cold water on face tends to be the strongest stimulus ■ Breath-holding ● Neural circuitry ○ High yield ■ Afferent limbs ● CN V receptors ● Briastem ○ Striggering nucleus ■ Central integration ● Medullary autonomic centers ■ Efferent limbs ● Vagus CN X ⇒ SA/AV nodes ⇒ decrease in HR and AV nodular conductions ● Outflows of arterioles ⇒ vasoconstrictions ● Significant comparisons ○ Valsalva ■ Preload and afterload swing ■ Baroeflex phase ■ Autonomic changes ○ Carotid sinus massages ■ Directly activates baroreceptor ○ Diving reflex ■ Trigeminal activations ● CN V ■ Strong vagal bradycardia Clinical significance ● Acute termination of SVT ○ Selected cases ○ Facial immersions on ice-to-face ⇒ increase in vagal tone ○ Will help termination of AVNRT and orthodromic AVRT ○ Effectiveness will vary ■ Much of adult ED protocols, modified Valsalva will still remain in first line ● Trigeminocardiac reflex ○ Related to trigeminocardiac reflex ■ Ophthalmic surgery ● Oculocardiac reflexes ■ Maxillofacial and nasal procedures ■ Marked bradycardia on trigeminal stimulations ● Clinical phenomena ○ Acute bradycardia with facial cold exposures ○ Bradyarrhythmias on water immersions ■ Susceptible individuals