Neurocognitive long term follow-up study on drowned children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Emergency medicine
• Neuropsychology

Background:

• Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in children.
• Successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in pediatric drowning cases can lead to survival, but long-term outcomes are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term cognitive and neurological outcomes in children who survived drowning incidents after receiving CPR.
• To compare outcomes based on whether CPR was administered by bystanders or emergency medical services (EMS).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 21 pediatric drowning survivors who received CPR between 1985 and 2007 underwent neurological and neuropsychological examinations.
• Data included age at drowning, age at examination, interval between events, and neurological status.
• Statistical analysis used Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed ranks, and Chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• 57.1% of survivors exhibited minor or major neurological dysfunction.
• 40% had a low full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ < 80).
• Longer submersion times correlated with lower FIQ scores (p=0.0013).

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of pediatric drowning survivors experience long-term neurological and cognitive deficits.
• Long-term neurological and neuropsychological follow-up is essential for these children.
• While some children may appear to recover fully at hospital discharge, underlying deficits can persist.