Nonfatal Drowning

Basics

Description

Respiratory impairment resulting from submersion in liquid

Epidemiology

Incidence

  • From 2010 to 2019, an average of 3,957 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States (1)
  • Three age-related peaks: toddlers and young children (1 to 5 years old), adolescents and young adults (15 to 25 years old), and the elderly
  • Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male (1).
  • Black children aged 10 to 14 years drown at rates of 7.6 times higher than white children (1).

Prevalence

  • Most common injury-related cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 years in the United States (2)
  • Second most common injury-related cause of death for children aged 1 to 14 years in the United States after motor vehicle crashes (1)
  • For every child aged <15 years who dies from drowning, eight more children are seen in the emergency room for nonfatal submersion injuries (1).
ALERT
Proper water supervision and safety techniques are critical in avoiding morbidity and mortality from drowning.

Etiology and Pathophysiology

Hypoxemia via aspiration and/or reflex laryngospasm causing cerebral hypoxia and multisystem organ dysfunction

  • 10–20% of victims drown without aspiration; likely due to prolonged laryngospasm; bathtub and bucket drowning in children aged <1 year; swimming pool drowning in children and young adults; motor vehicle accidents (vehicle submerged in water); head trauma while swimming or diving
  • Pulmonary: morbidity primarily caused by hypoxia; aspiration causes dilution of surfactant with decreased gas transfer across alveoli, atelectasis, and development of intrapulmonary right-to-left shunting; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); obstruction due to laryngospasm and bronchospasm
  • Cardiac: hypoxic-ischemic injury and arrhythmia (primary or secondary); renal: acute tubular necrosis from hypoxemia, shock, hemoglobinuria, myoglobinuria; neurologic: hypoxic-ischemic brain injury with damage especially to the hippocampus, insular cortex, and basal ganglia; cerebral edema
  • Coagulation: hemolysis and coagulopathy

Risk Factors

  • Inadequate physical barriers surrounding pools; alcohol ingestion; male sex; low socioeconomic status
  • Use of illicit drugs; seizure disorder; inability to swim; hyperventilation prior to underwater swimming
  • Boating mishaps and trauma during water sports, particularly when not wearing a life jacket; scuba diving
  • Inadequate adult supervision of children; lack of appropriate instruction on how to swim; concomitant stroke or myocardial infarction (MI); hypothermia
  • Cardiac arrhythmias: familial long QT and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT)

General Prevention

  • Periodic education regarding proper supervision and drowning prevention for caretakers of young children; proper adult supervision of children, particularly around water; pool alarms, buddy system; knowledge of water safety guidelines
  • Mandatory physical barriers surrounding pools; four-sided fencing, self-closing gate at least 48 inches above the ground (1)
  • Avoid alcohol or recreational drugs around water; swimming instruction at an early age; cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction for pool owners and parents; boating safety knowledge; personal flotation device and rescue equipment (e.g., preserver, if necessary)

Pediatric Considerations
Children should never be left alone near water. Young children can drown in very small amounts of water (bathtubs, buckets, and toilets).

Commonly Associated Conditions

  • Trauma; seizure disorder; alcohol or illicit drug use
  • Hypothermia; concomitant stroke or MI; cardiac arrhythmias: familial long QT and familial polymorphic VT; hyperventilation

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.