Bucket-related drownings in the United States, 1984 through 1990

The purpose of the study is to document the incidence of bucket-related drowning in the United States and to identify factors associated with this type of submersion injury. Analysis of Consumer Product Safety Commission data revealed 160 bucket-related drownings for the years 1984 through 1989, representing a mortality rate of 0.367 per 100,000 persons (younger than 2 years old) per year in the United States. Eighty-eight percent of bucket drownings occurred in toddlers aged 7 to 15 months old. Black children were six times more likely to drown in a bucket than white children of similar age (P less than .0001). Male toddlers were at significantly greater risk than females (P less than .01). A seasonal trend present in the data indicated that infants are more likely to drown in warmer than in colder months (P less than .01). States with the highest rates of bucket drowning were Vermont (2.1/100,000), Arizona (1.5/100,000), and Illinois (1.0/100,000). Through passive and active educational strategies, perhaps this fatal home injury can be prevented.