Submersion injury. Epidemiology, prevention, and management

Forensic Lung Pathology

Sudden and unexpected natural deaths and nonnatural deaths may result from various pulmonary conditions. Additionally, several nonpulmonary conditions of forensic significance may be complicated by the development of respiratory lesions. Certain situations with pulmonary pathology are particularly likely to be critically scrutinized and may form the basis of allegations of medical negligence, other personal injury liability, or wrongful death.1

Recommendations for water safety and drowning prevention for travelers

Drowning is a serious worldwide, mostly preventable injury problem, particularly among international travelers. In 2000, approximately 449,000 people have drowned worldwide, and the exact number of travelers is not precisely known. Although comprehensive infectious disease information has been available to international travelers for many years, advice on injury risk and prevention, more specifically on drowning prevention, has received little attention. The goals of this review were to develop research-based drowning prevention and water-safety recommendations for travelers and to identify research needs for future recommendations. A group of injury-prevention and travel-medicine experts conducted several rounds of voting and ranking of the strength and evidence of drowning-prevention recommendations. Each of the thirty-two recommendations created have also been categorized using the Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel scale and have been framed in the context of preevent, event, and postevent categories commonly used in injury-control theory and Haddon's Matrix. These recommendations were developed for use by travel-medicine professionals or others who prepare individuals for travel. Several of the identified interventions to prevent drownings lack conclusive scientific evidence of their effectiveness and warrant further studies to better understand their true effectiveness. Furthermore, funding for the studies of intervention effectiveness and the implications of these interventions for international travelers are essential, yet insufficient.

Systematic review of definitions for drowning incidents

OBJECTIVES

In preparation for the World Congress on Drowning uniform reporting consensus document of drowning incidents we reviewed systematically the medical literature for the terms and definitions used to describe drowning incidents to assess the uniformity of these terms in the medical literature.

METHODS

The search strategy included a literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database from 1966 to April 2002, as well as a review of reference lists of identified studies and a hand search of relevant textbooks and reference works. Search terms used included drowning, near-drowning, submersion, immersion, suffocation, asphyxiation, water injuries, and aspiration. Any article with drowning as a primary focus and containing a definition of drowning was included. Study designs included experimental studies, observational studies, case control studies, reviews, letters, and editorials.

RESULTS

The search identified approximately 6000 articles. Of these 650 were reviewed and 43 articles addressing the definition of drowning were identified. We found a total of 33 different definitions to describe drowning incidents, 20 for drowning and 13 for near-drowning; along with another 13 related terms. There were at least 20 different outcome measures for drowning incidents reported.

CONCLUSIONS

A review of existing drowning literature demonstrates a lack of a standard definition of drowning and a lack of agreement on measures of outcome. This variability in definitions and outcomes makes it very difficult to assess and analyze studies both individually and as a whole and draw conclusions that will influence practice. These objective findings support the need for the drowning Utstein focus on one definition of drowning and validated measures of functional and neurological outcome.

Drowning and near-drowning in Northern Territory children

OBJECTIVE

To compare incidences of drowing for children in the Northern Territory (NT) with those in Queensland and the rest of Australia.

DESIGN

Descriptive, retrospective, population-based analysis of death and hospitalisation data for drowning and near-drowning.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Children aged 0-14 years resident in Australia from 1983 to 1998.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Age-standardised average annual incidence of drowning (1983-1998) and near-drowning (1994-1997) in children aged 0-4 and 5-14 years in the NT, Queensland and the rest of Australia.

RESULTS

The average annual incidence of drowning and near-drowning from 1994 to 1997 for children aged 0-4 years in the NT (67.82 per 100,000) was significantly higher than for Australia (24.45 per 100,000) (incident rate ratio [IRR], 2.77; 95% CI, 1.40-4.91) and for Queensland (32.55 per 100,000) (IRR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.05-3.94). The proportion of children aged 0-4 years drowning or near-drowning in swimming pools from 1994 to 1997 was also significantly higher in the NT (83%) than Australia (64%) (difference, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.086-0.30) and Queensland (65%) (difference, 0.18; 95% Cl, 0.069-0.29). From 1983 to 1998, the incidence of drowning in NT children aged 0-4 years increased by 0.4% per year (IRR, 1.004; 95% Cl, 0.994-1.070), compared with a 5.0% reduction per year (IRR, 0.950; 95% Cl, 0.937-0.963) in Australian children.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidences of drowning and near-drowning in the NT are higher than in the rest of Australia and show no significant decrease. The NT should improve its measures for prevention of childhood drowning.

Pool fencing for preventing drowning in children

BACKGROUND

In most industrialized countries, drowning ranks second or third behind motor vehicles and fires as a cause of unintentional injury deaths to children under the age of 15. Death rates from drowning are highest in children less than five years old. Pool fencing is a passive environmental intervention designed to reduce unintended access to swimming pools and thus prevent drowning in the preschool age group. Because of the magnitude of the problem and the potential effectiveness of fencing we decided to evaluate the effect of pool fencing as a drowning prevention strategy for young children.

OBJECTIVES

To determine if pool fencing prevents drowning in young children.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We used Cochrane Collaboration search strategy of electronic databases, searched reference lists of past reviews and review articles, Cochrane International Register of RCT's, studies from government agencies in the United States and Australia, and contacted colleagues from International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention, World Injury Network, and CDC funded Injury Control and Research Centers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

In order to be selected a study had to be designed to evaluate pool fencing in a defined population and provide relevant and interpretable data which objectively measured the risk of drowning or near drowning or provided rates of these outcomes in fenced and unfenced pools. The completed studies meeting selection criteria employed a case-control design. No randomized controlled studies have been identified.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Three published studies met selection criteria. Data were extracted by two reviewers using standard abstract form. Odds ratios with 95% CI, and incidence rates, were calculated for drowning and near-drowning. Attributable Risk percent (AR%) was calculated to report the reduction in drowning due to pool fencing.

MAIN RESULTS

Case control studies which evaluate pool fencing interventions indicate that pool fencing significantly reduces the risk of drowning. Odds ratio for the risk of drowning or near drowning in a fenced pool compared to an unfenced pool is 0.27 95%CI (0.16, 0.47). Isolation fencing (enclosing pool only) is superior to perimeter fencing (enclosing property and pool) because perimeter fencing allows access to the pool area through the house. Odds ratio for the risk of drowning in a pool with isolation fencing compared to a pool with three sided fencing is 0.17 95%CI (0.07, 0.44)

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS

Pool fences should have a dynamic and secure gate and isolate (i.e., four-sided fencing) the pool from the house. Legislation should require isolation fencing with secure, self-latching gates for all pools, public, semi-public and private.

Submersion injuries in children and adults

Drowning and near drowning remain a common cause of childhood death and disability. Toddlers aged one through four drown in private swimming pools. Submersions greater than 10 minutes and lack of CPR at the scene or the need for greater than 20 minutes of resuscitation portends a poor prognosis. Management of respiratory failure without neurologic impairment has the most successful outcome. Prevention of drowning morbidity is dependent on constant parental supervision, and immediate and expert CPR.

Prevention of pediatric drowning and near-drowning: a survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics

OBJECTIVE

To assess pediatricians' knowledge about the epidemiology of childhood drowning, their opinions and current practices regarding its prevention, and their interest in taking on more responsibility for its prevention.

DESIGN

A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 800 pediatricians in the United States, randomly selected from the American Academy of Pediatrics' approximately 18,000 full fellows.

RESULTS

A total of 560 completed surveys were returned, a response rate of 70.1%. Although 85% of respondents believe it is the responsibility of pediatricians to become involved in community and/or legislative efforts to prevent childhood drowning, only 4.1% were involved in such efforts. Only a minority of respondents provided written materials and anticipatory guidance on drowning prevention to their patients. Women were more likely than men to discuss drowning prevention with their patients. Younger physicians were more likely than older physicians to discuss drowning prevention with their patients. Physicians who received formal education on drowning prevention during their pediatric residency training were more likely to provide written materials and anticipatory guidance on drowning prevention to their patients. However, only 17.9% of respondents received formal education on drowning prevention during their pediatric residency training. Seventy-four percent of all respondents felt that further education on the prevention of childhood drowning and near-drowning would be useful to them.

CONCLUSION

Although drowning is the second leading cause of death by unintentional injury in the pediatric population (aged 0 to 19 years), most pediatricians do not routinely provide information to their patients, or to their patients' parents, on drowning prevention.

IMPLICATION

Pediatricians have been effective child advocates in many areas of injury prevention. If the prevention of drowning is made a priority in pediatric practice, many more children's lives will be saved.

Near-drowning: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and initial treatment

Drowning is a major cause of accidental deaths, especially in children. The most serious pathophysiologic consequence of near-drowning is hypoxemia, which usually is due to aspiration-induced noncardiogenic edema. Therefore, initial resuscitative efforts need to be directed at establishing adequate oxygenation and ventilation, followed by rewarming and fluid administration. Although completely asymptomatic patients with normal vital signs, oxygenation and chest radiographs require only 4 to 6 hours of observation, many near-drowning victims will require at least 24 hours of observation. Despite these measures, approximately 25% of victims presenting to the Emergency Department will die and another 6% will develop neurological sequelae. Therefore, it is vital that better efforts be made by the community in promoting and instituting water safety programs.

Preventing childhood unintentional injuries--what works? A literature review

AIM

The aim of this paper is to report on a systematic review of the world literature to provide information about the most effective forms of health promotion interventions to reduce childhood (0-14 years) unintentional injuries. The findings are of relevance to policy makers at a local or national level, to practitioners and researchers.

METHODS

The relevant literature has been identified through the use of electronic databases, hand searching of journals, scanning reference lists, and consultation with key informants.

RESULTS

Examples of interventions that have been effective in reducing injury include: bicycle helmet legislation, area wide traffic calming measures, child safety restraint legislation, child resistant containers to prevent poisoning, and window bars to prevent falls. Interventions effective in changing behaviour include bicycle helmet education and legislation, child restraint legislation, child restraint loan schemes, child restraint educational campaigns, pedestrian education aimed at the child/parent, provision of smoke detectors, and parent education on home hazard reduction. For the community based campaigns, the key to success has been the sustained use of surveillance systems, the commitment of interagency cooperation and the time needed to develop networks and implement a range of interventions. Education, environmental modification and legislation all have a part to play and their effect in combination is important.

CONCLUSION

The design of evaluations in injury prevention needs to be improved so that more reliable evidence can be obtained. Better information is needed on process, so that successful strategies can be replicated elsewhere. There is also a need for literature reviews on effectiveness to be updated regularly and for their findings to be widely disseminated to policy makers, researchers, and practitioners.

Drowning and near-drowning

The incidence, epidemiology, and pathophysiology of drowning and near-drowning are presented. Particular attention is paid to the neurologic and pulmonary pathophysiology indicators for monitoring and laboratory tests. Special attention to transportation of patients is given, and treatment in the field, emergency department, and pediatric intensive care unit is delineated.

Pediatric injury prevention

Pediatric injuries are the leading cause of childhood death and disability and are responsible for more childhood deaths than all other diseases combined. The panel summarized the principles of pediatric injury prevention and reviewed the incidence, epidemiology, and prevention of six common pediatric injuries.

Submersion in The Netherlands: prognostic indicators and results of resuscitation

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To analyze prognostic indicators and the outcome of resuscitation in submersion victims (drowning and near drowning).

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Intensive and Respiratory Care Unit. Between January 1, 1979, and December 31, 1985, 87 submersion victims were admitted. The files of 83 victims were available for statistical analysis. There were 66 male victims and 17 female victims; the average age was 31.4 +/- 25.8 years. There were ten salt water and 73 fresh water submersions.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Predictors for better survival potentials were a young age, submersion of less than ten minutes, no signs of aspiration, and a central body temperature of less than 35 C at admission. We did not detect factors that accelerated a decrease in core body temperature at admission and assume that lethal hypoxia had preceded protective hypothermia in our submersion victims. The Orlowski score had a predictive value but at the same time we found nonindependent indicators in this score. Neurologic outcome in our patients, who were not treated according to a brain protection protocol, was not worse than the outcome published by authors who have used such a protocol. Thirty-three percent of the victims with a cardioventilatory arrest (15) and all victims with a ventilatory arrest (11) survived resuscitation and were discharged. Five nonarrest victims died due to late complications.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that no indicator at the rescue site and in the hospital is absolutely reliable with respect to death or survival.

Immersion injury. Drowning and near drowning

Near drowning remains one of the most frequently encountered environmental injuries in the United States. Physicians can do much to educate their patients on prevention. Both at the scene and in the emergency department, physicians should direct initial attention to aggressive respiratory management, because hypoxia is the primary cause of mortality and morbidity in the near-drowning victim. An apparently lifeless victim of cold-water immersion may go on to full recovery with such management. In patients who survive the initial insult, the degree of hypoxic encephalopathy is the major determinant of outcome.