A 55-year-old man is brought to the emergency room after a near-drowning accident while boating. The patient has no pulse when the paramedics arrive, but he is resuscitated. The patient never regains...

A 55-year-old man is brought to the emergency room after a near-drowning accident while boating. The patient has no pulse when the paramedics arrive, but he is resuscitated. The patient never regains consciousness and expires 3 days later. Examination of the brain at autopsy reveals a watershed zone of infarction in the left cerebral hemisphere. Which of the following best describes the pathogenesis of this infarct?

(A) Disseminated intravascular coagulation

(B) Prolonged hypotension

(C) Sagittal sinus thrombosis

(D) Spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage

(E) Thromboembolism