Related Experiment Videos
[Near drowning of a child with severe epilepsy]
1Paediatrisk afdeling, Randers Centralsygehus.
Insights
A child with severe epilepsy experienced a near-drowning incident in a swimming pool after an apparent seizure. Prompt resuscitation led to survival without lasting effects, highlighting the risks of unsupervised swimming for children with seizure disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Emergency Medicine
- Drowning Prevention
Background:
- Epilepsy, particularly myoclone-astatic seizures, presents unique risks for affected children.
- Swimming pools pose a significant drowning hazard, especially for individuals with seizure disorders.
Observation:
- An 11-year-old child with severe myoclone-astatic epilepsy was found unresponsive at the bottom of an indoor swimming pool.
- The incident is presumed to have occurred following an unobserved epileptic seizure while the child was alone.
Findings:
- Immediate resuscitation efforts were successful in reviving the child.
- The child experienced a near-drowning event but survived without any neurological or physical sequelae.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical importance of constant supervision for children with epilepsy, especially near water.
- Recommendations are made to prevent similar incidents by emphasizing vigilant monitoring of children with seizure phenomena around swimming pools.
Abstract:
A case of near-drowning in an 11 year old child with severe epilepsy (myoclone-astatic) is described. The child was left alone in a indoor swimming-pool and was found lifeless on the bottom 1-2 minutes later presumably after an epileptic seizure. Resuscitation was instituted immediately and the child survived without sequelae. Leaving children with seizure phenomena without observation in the neighbourhood of swimming pools, is warned against.