The epidemiology of drowning among Saudi children: results from a large trauma center

Author:

Alkhalaf Hamad1,Zuraie Meshal2,Alqahtani Ryan Nasser2,Alghamdi Mashael3,Afif Abdulrahman Bin2,Alqahtani Faisal Jubran4,Jawdat Talal5,Abusulaiman Suhaib5,Alshahrani Abdulaziz5,Alghnam Suliman3ORCID

Affiliation:

1. From the Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2. From the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

3. From the Department of Population Health, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

4. From the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

5. From the Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Children Hospital, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death among children worldwide. Although natural waters pose a risk of drowning in low-income countries, swimming pools are more prevalent in high-income countries. In Saudi Arabia, injuries and drowning are a significant threat to population health. Local data is limited, which affects an understanding of the extent of the burden and the development of prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: Determine the epidemiological characteristics, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of drowning among children. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Patients admitted to the tertiary care unit of a hospital in Riyadh. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data was collected on children who drowned (age 0-14) between January 2015 and August 2020. Cases were identified from the electronic health record system where the diagnosis was drowning. Differences in characteristics and outcomes between nonfatal cases with no neurological damage and fatal cases with neurological damage were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Drowning mortality and morbidity. SAMPLE SIZE: 99. RESULTS: Of the 99 drowning cases, 22 (22.2%) had a fatal outcome or resulted in neurological damage. The most-reported drowning site was private pools (82%). The majority of cases involved children younger than the age of two (54%). Eighty-four cases (84.8%) occurred on holidays. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 61 (61.6%) of cases. A significant association was found between the delay in initiating resuscitation and an unfavorable outcome ( P <.01). A high Glasgow Coma Scale score upon admission was a predictor of normal recovery ( P <.01). CONCLUSION: These findings warrant investment to increase public awareness of the risks of leaving children unsupervised in swimming pools. In addition, there is a need to ensure early resuscitation of drowning victims by promoting life support courses in order to facilitate positive outcomes. LIMITATIONS: The study was conducted in one tertiary center located in a non-coastal city so the results may not be generalizable. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Publisher

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre

Subject

General Medicine

Reference22 articles.

1. World Health Organization (WHO). Preventing drowning: an implementation guide. 2017.

2. WHO. WHO: Road traffic injuries. World Health Organization. 2018.

3. 2015 revised Utstein-style recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from drowning-related resuscitation: An ILCOR advisory statement;Idris AH;Resuscitation,2017

4. World Health Organization. Global report on drowning: preventing a leading killer. World Heal Organ. 2014.

5. Mortality across drowning in the view of the meteorological parameters: Relative humudity and sea wavelength;Beydilli I;Biomed Res,2017

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