Drowning injuries in the United States: Patient characteristics, mortality risk, and associated primary diagnoses

To determine patient demographics, associated primary diagnoses, mortality risk, and inpatient mortality of admitted drowning patients in the U.S.

Retrospective cross-sectional study using 2016 National Inpatient Sample Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality dataset. External cause codes were used to identify drowning records, excluding self-inflicted/suicides. ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes, patient demographics, and admission-related data were collected.

Of the 4,355 admissions in 2016, 68.3% were male (95% CI 65.3-71.3%) and 70.3% were white (95% CI 66.9-73.6%) with mean length of stay of 5.5 days (95% CI 4.9-6.2) and mean total charge of $81,624 (95% CI $70926-$92321). 8.2% of admissions resulted in inpatient death. Those that died were significantly younger than those that did not die (χ²=5.9, p=0.02). There was a statistically significant association between primary payer and inpatient mortality (χ²=10.5, p=0.02).

Younger, male, and white patients accounted for the majority of drowning admissions and deaths. A significantly larger proportion of Medicaid patients died compared to inpatient mortality of those with other insurance. Recognizing those most impacted by drowning could help better tailor prevention efforts.