In a saltwater drowning, water ________.

In a saltwater drowning, the correct choice is that water enters the lungs from the bloodstream. When a person inhales saltwater, the increased salinity of the water can cause an osmotic effect, where water is drawn out of the bloodstream into the lungs. This influx of fluid leads to pulmonary edema, which is the accumulation of fluid in the lung tissue, further complicating the drowning situation.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately reflect the physiological processes involved in saltwater drowning. For example, the notion that water is expelled quickly does not represent the actual dynamics of how the body reacts to inhaled saltwater, as the body typically struggles to expel the water effectively. Similarly, while inflammation is a consequence of drowning, it is not as direct a mechanism as the osmotic movement of water into the lungs. Lastly, the idea that water is absorbed by the skin is not relevant in the context of drowning; the primary concern is the water entering the lungs rather than skin absorption, which plays a negligible role in this scenario.