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[Drowning in children]
1Unité de soins intensifs pédiatriques, hôpital Sainte-Justine, Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Canada.
Insights
Drowning is a leading cause of death in children, with near-drowning incidents being far more common. Prevention is crucial for medical professionals to reduce child submersion accidents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Context:
- Drowning is a significant cause of pediatric mortality.
- Near-drowning incidents are approximately 9-10 times more frequent than drowning deaths.
- High-risk age groups for submersion accidents include toddlers (1-3 years) and adolescents/young adults (15-25 years).
- Most pediatric drowning events occur in swimming pools and bathtubs.
Purpose:
- To summarize the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of pediatric drowning and near-drowning.
- To highlight the importance of prognosis based on victim's consciousness level.
- To emphasize the critical need for prevention strategies in pediatric submersion incidents.
Summary:
- The near-drowning to drowning ratio is approximately 9-10:1, indicating a high frequency of non-fatal submersion events.
- Victim's prognosis is strongly linked to their level of consciousness, with awake or stuporous patients having excellent outcomes, while comatose patients' prognosis correlates with coma severity.
- Treatment primarily involves supportive care, yet severe neurological deficits or death can occur despite optimal management.
Impact:
- Underscores the critical need for enhanced drowning prevention strategies targeting high-risk age groups and environments.
- Informs medical professionals about the importance of early assessment and prognosis in near-drowning victims.
- Highlights the public health challenge posed by pediatric drowning and the necessity of prioritizing preventative measures.
Abstract:
Drowning is one of the most common causes of death in children. Near-drowning is even more frequent: near-drowning/drowning ratio is approximately 9-10/1. The age-groups between 1 and 3 years and 15 and 25 years are most likely to be at risk for submersion accidents. The majority of drowning accidents in children occur in swimming pools and bathtubs. The awake or stuporous victim has an excellent prognosis. In comatose patients, the prognosis is directly proportional to the severity of coma. Treatment is mostly supportive. Despite optimal care, it is not infrequent for a near-drowning accident to end in death or severe neurological handicap. Prevention must be a priority for the medical profession.