13. Definition
• “The process of
experiencing respiratory
impairment from
submersion/immersion in
liquid”
• Only 3 outcomes –
– Death
– No Morbidity
– Morbidity Bangladesh, Lifeguards Without Borders, Aug2009
14. Definition
• Old terms that should NOT be used
– Dry
– Wet
– Active
– Passive
– Secondary
– Near Especially
• No difference between salt, chlorine, and
freshwater
Lima, Peru, 2009
15. Who is Drowning?
• WHO Global Burden of Disease
– 388,000 Drowning Deaths*
• 97% in low to middle income countries
+1.55 million unreported drowning deaths
+6.08 million drowning “incidents”
7.63 million Drowning persons*
16. Who is Drowning?
• 2nd
leading cause of unintentional injury
death (1st
is MVC’s)
• ~10 Deaths/Day in US
– 40 Drown and survive
– ½ with, ½ w/o morbidity
• Male:Female 4:1
17. Who is drowning?
• Disease of youth
– 64% of deaths are<30 yrs
– 25% of deaths are < 5 yrs
• Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, &
Washington
• Drowning surpasses all other causes of death
to children age 0-14
18. Who is Drowning?
• Excludes Floods/Boating/Natural
Disasters
http://nicedeb.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/sinking-boat.jpg
– 2009 USCG Responded to 4,730
incidents
• 3,358 injuries
• 736 deaths
– 72% Drowning
90% without lifejackets
50% (+) EtOH
19.
20. Who is Drowning?
• Hurricane Katrina
– USCG– 33,544 Rescues
• 4/6 Rio Flood
– 200+ dead
• 8/1 Pakistan Flood
– 1100+ dead
• Indonesia Tsunami
– 169,752 dead
– 127,294 missing
http://www.gearbits.com/images/banda_aceh_tsunami.jpg
CDC MMWR March 10, 2006 / 55(09);239-242
21. • 16 y/o ♀
– HPI
• Pulled from ocean
• No LOC
• + Submersion
– PE
A- Small foam at
mouth/nose
B-Active cough
C- +Radial Pulse
22. • 15 y/o ♂
– HPI
• Pulled from ocean
• No LOC
• + Submersion
– PE
A- Large foam at
mouth/nose
B-Active cough
C- +Radial Pulse
23. Maldito!!
• What next?
– Sick or Not Sick
– Transport or
No Transport
• First, a review of physiology
Lima, 2012
24. Physiology of Drowning
• Breath holding during struggle
• Attempt to inhale water results in ?laryngospasm
–Usually little (<30mL) or NO fluid in lungs
–Reflex Swallowing
30. When to Transport?
• 41,729 oceanfront lifeguard rescues in
Rio de Janeiro from 1972 – 1991
– 93% Released at scene without further treatment
– 2,304 required additional medical care
• 89% lived
• 11% died
31. When to Transport?
Grade Signs/Symptoms (s/sx) Mortality Treatment
1 Cough, no foam at
mouth/nose -LCTAB
0% Thorough history – Release home
with education
2 Small amt foam in mouth
or nose, +Rales
0.6% N/C O2
- Hospital
3 Large amt foam, normal
BP (+radial pulse)
5.2% ETT/NRB O2
- Hospital
4 Large amt foam, LOW BP
(-radial pulse)
19.4% ETT/NRB O2
, IV Fluids -
Hospital
5 Respiratory Arrest 44% ETT/NRB O2
, IV Fluids -
Hospital
6 Cardiopulmonary Arrest 93% ETT/NRB O2
, IV Fluids, AED –
Hospital
Do not resuscitate if down >1 hour
32. When to Transport?
Grade Signs/Symptoms
(s/sx)
Mortality Treatment
1 Cough, no foam at
mouth/nose -LCTAB
0% Thorough history – Release
home with education
2 Small amt foam in
mouth or nose,
+Rales
0.6% N/C O2
– Hospital
3 Large amt foam,
normal BP (+radial
pulse)
5.2% ETT/NRB O2
- Hospital
33. Do we transport?
• 16 y/o ♀
– HPI
• Pulled from ocean
• No LOC
• + Submersion
– PE
A- Small foam at
mouth/nose
B-Active cough
C- + Radial Pulse
• 15 y/o ♂
– HPI
• Pulled from ocean
• No LOC
• + Submersion
– PE
A- Large foam at
mouth/nose
B- Active cough
C- +Radial Pulse
34. • 15 y/o ♂
– “Emergency Dept” “Treatmen
– O2 N/C @ 2 LPM
– 4 mg IM Dexamethasone
– B12 – 10,000 μg IM
– N-Acetylcysteine 20% IV
– 30 mL (200mg/mL)
35. You assume care of 16 y/o
• A- Patent, copius foam
• B- Tachypneic, RR 36, tiring out
• C- ST 130 bpm, thready radial pulse
• Critical Actions?
45. 4545
C-Spine
• Less than 1% of
Drowning patients, all
with significant
mechanism of injury
– Routine C-Spine
immobilization is
unnecessary
Special considerations
46. 4646
AED’s in Drowning
• V-Fib/V-Tach?
• Rescuer Safety
• Do not delay Oxygenation / Ventilation
• Minimize interruptions
5858
Special considerations
47. 4747
Heimlich Manuever
• Increased risk of
aspiration
– Delays ventilation
– Usually <30mL
fluid in lungs
– Watch for vomiting
!!!
Special considerations
48. Hypothermia
• Hypothermia?
– Is it protective? Harmful? What about post-resus?
• Water at 91.4°F is thermally neutral
• Conductivity is 25-30 x air
• All have some degree of hypothermia
– Case Reports?
• 21 y/o ♀, 45 min 4°C
• 5 y/o ♂, 40 min 0°C
• 3 y/o ♀, 30 min 8°C
• 2.5 y/o ♀, 66 min (19°C)
Special considerations
49. Hypothermia
– Mammalian Diving Reflex
• 15%-30% of Humans
– Cold and Dead?
• Continue resus and
rewarm to 94°F
– What about post-resus?
• Therapeutic Hypothermia has been shown to
decrease cerebral oxygen demand and improve
neurologic outcomes
Special considerations
50. Hypothermia
• Bottom line
– Warm pt to 94°F
• If dead, their
dead
• If not dead, stay
there *
*Only if hospital protocols are in place
Special considerations
51. 5151
Antibiotics
• No evidence to support routine use
– CXR usually abnormal on admission
– Febrile response to drowning
– Use cultures to guide abx use
6363
Special considerations
52. Summary
• Understand definition of drowning
– Process, not an outcome
• Appreciate epidemiology
– Highly prevalent worldwide, children <4
• Management
– Rapid O2 O2 O2, warm pt to 94°F, vomitus, ignore foam
– Hypoxic vs Cardiac cause of arrest
• Disposition of drowning patients
– Home or ICU
• Don’t blow smoke up pt’s (or colleagues) asses
– Bring your “A” game, be able to back it up
U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (US). Recreational Boating Statistics – 2009 [online]. [cited 2011 Apr 11]. Available from http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/workflow_staging/Publications/394.PDF URL: The remaining 30% are trauma, hypothermia, CO poisoning, and other causes. Temporary Insanity II Impaled on Channel Marker Near Bay Bridge Marina on Kent Island: Just before 2 a.m., a 1992, 38-ft. Fountain power boat slammed into a fixed, channel marker, ripping a 17-ft. gash in the forward hull & becoming impaled on the steel piling holding the channel marker. A passenger suffered a broken arm & lacerations; a passing boater rescued the two men. DNR police cited the skipper, who "claimed to have been blinded by the lights of a sailboat", for negligence, traveling at an unsafe speed, & failure to maintain a proper lookout.