[Near Drowning in the Dead Sea - Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients According to...

This is a first study that assesses the clinical presentation and outcomes of different ethnic groups of the patients that are near drowning in the Dead Sea.

We performed a retrospective study of all adult patients admitted to the Soroka University Medical Center with a diagnosis of the near-drowning syndrome in the Dead Sea during the years 2004-2024. All the patients were divided into three groups: patients of Jewish origin, patients who were Israeli Arabs and Bedouins in origin and tourists from any other countries. The primary outcome was the length of the hospital stay. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality.

This study included 219 patients. The majority of patients (140, or 64%) were of Jewish origin. Arab patients were significantly younger compared to the other two groups of patients (P=0.002) and significantly healthier compared to the other two patient groups (P<0.001). Significantly more tourists were hospitalized with an impaired state of consciousness, manifesting as stupor or coma, compared to the other two groups (P<0.001). Throughout the entire hospitalization, kidney function was better in patients from the Arab group compared to the two other groups. No vital differences were found between the three groups regarding study outcomes, including in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, or length of hospital stay.

This study demonstrated significant demographic and clinical heterogeneity among the three patient groups on admission. Arab patients were significantly younger and had a lower comorbidity burden. Tourists presented more frequently with a severely impaired level of consciousness. Despite these marked differences in baseline characteristics and disease severity indicators, all three groups demonstrated similar short-term outcomes, with no significant differences found in outcomes. These findings imply a robust clinical system capable of managing the diverse risk profiles of the patient population.