“Prevention is cure, Education is essential” – responsible implications of young people in educational and prophylactic actions against accidental cervical spinal cord injury and severe disabilities by diving in unverified waters

Abstract

Introduction: Encouraged by the favorable outcomes of previous mediatic national prophylactic campaigns, initiated and sustained by the medical team of Teaching Emergency Hospital "Bagdasar-Arseni" and National TV Channels (ProTv, TVR1) focused on the risk of severe disability after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) by diving in unknown waters, we decided to continue increasing awareness education actions. The previous prophylactic campaigns were followed by a statistically significant reduction in the number of young patients admitted to hospital with quadriplegia after diving in unverified waters (26.8% in 2016 and 39% in 2017). Starting from the ISCoS paradigm "Prevention is cure", we have resumed the prophylactic educational actions addressed to healthcare professionals (students, residents, young doctors) in campaigns to prevent CSCI and accidental tetraplegia during summer sports. The objective of the study was to test medical, diving biomechanical level of knowledge and circumstances regarding risks associated with diving in unknown waters, among young kinetotherapy FMAM students (under the age of 35). The study has the Teaching Emergency Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni” Ethics Committee's approval NO 17464/14.06.2019. Materials and methods: The research was conducted using the questionnaire technique, containing 16 closed questions addressed to a number of 40 students from Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania Results: We observed that most of the young students act precociously: 67.5% swim in special designated places, 77.5% dive with their feet first, versus 22.5% plunge the head first. Students have a low level of knowledge about biomechanics of plunging and the impressive speeds reached during diving. More than two-thirds of them did not answer the question about the speed reached during diving from 1 m (7.5 m/s, equivalent to 27 km/h) (67.5% students), from 10 m platform (17.5 m/s, 63 km/h) (70% students) and diving from 30 m (25 m/s, 90 km/h) (67% students). Regarding the alcohol consumption before diving, 80% of them responded with "no", and only 5% responded with "occasional consumption". Eighteen students (45%) know the main risk of diving in unknown and shallow waters, and 20 students (50%) have responded incorrectly. Conclusions: Young students - future therapists have a low level of knowledge about CSCI risk and the severe disabilities that can occur accidentally by diving. It is mandatory to continue the education prophylactic initiative sustained activity through mass media, started in 2016-2018. Key words: traumatic spinal cord injury, tetraplegia, diving, plunging, unverified / unfamiliar water, summer sports,