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Drowning and aquatic injuries dictionary
David Szpilman1,2,3,4, Jose Palacios Aguilar1,5, Roberto Barcala-Furelos1,4,6,7
1IDRA - International Drowning Researchers' Alliance, Kuna, Idaho, USA.
Resuscitation Plus
|July 5, 2021
Summary
A new drowning dictionary was developed to standardize terminology for this global public health issue. This resource aims to improve understanding and collaboration in drowning prevention, research, and policy.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Medical Terminology
Background:
- Drowning causes over 320,000 global deaths annually, with figures likely underestimated due to data collection issues.
- Inconsistent reporting and categorization hinder accurate understanding of drowning incidents worldwide.
- A standardized lexicon is crucial for addressing this significant public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a standardized drowning dictionary using a consensus-based approach.
- To enhance clarity and consistency in communication among stakeholders involved in drowning prevention and research.
- To improve the collective understanding of the global drowning problem.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive list of over 350 drowning-related terms and definitions was compiled.
- A modified Delphi process involving 16 international drowning experts across four continents was employed over five rounds.
- An external panel conducted a sixth round to evaluate the content validity of the terms.
Main Results:
- The developed drowning dictionary contains over 350 terms, with less than 10% previously published in peer-reviewed literature.
- The dictionary achieved a high Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave) of 0.91, surpassing recommended scientific benchmarks.
- A significant majority (91%) of terms met the acceptable Index of Content Validity (I-CVI) threshold (>0.78).
Conclusions:
- The drowning dictionary establishes a common language to facilitate collaboration and data comparison across various sectors.
- Its implementation is expected to improve efforts in drowning prevention, education, research, policy, and treatment.
- The dictionary is available for open access, discussion, and further review at www.idra.world.
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