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Updated: Jul 25, 2026
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A Contusive Model of Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Using the Infinite Horizon Impactor
Published on: July 24, 2012
Cervical spine injuries among submersion victims
R S Watson1, P Cummings, L Quan
1Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA. watsonrs@anes.upmc.edu
The Journal of Trauma
|October 5, 2001
Summary
Cervical spine (C-spine) injury is rare in submersion victims without traumatic injuries. Routine C-spine immobilization is not typically necessary for drowning victims unless high-impact trauma is present.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Submersion victims are often presumed to have a high risk of cervical spine (C-spine) injury.
- This presumption exists irrespective of whether a traumatic injury has occurred.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that C-spine injury is unlikely in submersion victims without high-impact injuries.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study was conducted on individuals who submerged between January 1974 and July 1996.
- Data were collected from medical records and medical examiner reports in three Washington State counties.
Main Results:
- Only 11 (0.5%) of 2,244 submersion victims sustained C-spine injuries.
- All injured individuals had submerged in open water and experienced high-impact events (diving, vehicle crash, fall from height).
- No C-spine injuries were observed in 880 low-impact submersion cases.
Conclusions:
- Submersion victims are at risk for C-spine injury primarily when a concurrent traumatic injury is present.
- Routine C-spine immobilization solely based on submersion history is not generally warranted.
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