Affiliation:
1. Department of Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, NC, USA
2. Department of Surgery, Kamuzu Central Hospital , Lilongwe, Malawi
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Drowning is a public health problem that is under-reported in Africa. We sought to evaluate the epidemiology and risk factors for drownings in Malawi.
Methods
We performed a retrospective review of all pediatric (≤15 years old) patients who presented following a drowning incident to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 2009–19. Demographics and outcomes were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Logistic multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with increased odds of mortality.
Results
There were 156 pediatric drowning victims during the study period. The median age at presentation was 3 (IQR: 2–7 years). Survivors were younger [median age: 2 years (IQR: 2–5) vs. 5 years (IQR: 2–10), p = 0.004], with a higher proportion of drownings occurring at home (85.6% vs. 58.3%, p = 0.001) compared to non-survivors. Patients who had a drowning event at a public space had increased odds of mortality (OR 8.17, 95% CI 2.34–28.6). Patients who were transferred (OR 0.03, 95% CI 0.003–0.25) and had other injuries (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.06–0.70) had decreased odds of mortality following drowning.
Conclusion
Over half of pediatric drowning victims at a tertiary-care facility in Malawi survived. Drowning survivors were significantly younger, more likely to have drowned at home, and transported by private vehicles and minibus than non-survivors. There is a need for scalable, cost-effective drowning prevention strategies that focus on water safety education and training community members and police officers in basic life support and resuscitation.
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Cited by
1 articles.
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