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Computational Intelligence and... 2022Advancements in health monitoring using smartphone sensor technologies have made it possible to quantify the functional performance and deviations in an individual's...
Advancements in health monitoring using smartphone sensor technologies have made it possible to quantify the functional performance and deviations in an individual's routine. Falling and drowning are significant unnatural causes of silent accidental deaths, which require an ambient approach to be detected. This paper presents the novel ambient assistive framework Falling and Drowning Detection (FaDD) for falling and drowning detection. FaDD perceives input from smartphone sensors, such as accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and GPS, that provide accurate readings of the movement of an individual's body. FaDD hierarchically recognizes the falling and drowning actions by applying the machine learning model. The approach activates embedding, in a smartphone application, to notify emergency alerts to various stakeholders (i.e., guardian, rescue, and close circle community) about drowning of an individual. FaDD detects falling, drowning, and routine actions with good accuracy of 98%. Furthermore, the FaDD framework enhances coordination to provide more efficient and reliable healthcare services to people.
Topics: Drowning; Humans; Machine Learning; Movement; Smartphone
PubMed: 35990165
DOI: 10.1155/2022/6468870 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2021According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global drowning report (2017), drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. Drowning...
According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global drowning report (2017), drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. Drowning can occur anywhere there is water: oceans, seas, lakes, pools, bathtubs, rivers or water collection on the side of the road, etc. In many countries, there are drowning prevention programs for children and adults. The two most commonly used strategiesagainst drowning are the presence of lifeguards in public places and the use of protected areas that could prevent most of the drownings. The main aim of the present study is to examine the individual differences in a Big Five plus Two (BF+2) personality traits in lifeguards and non-lifeguards (including students). The subsample of lifeguards represented 122 male respondents who were, at the time of the survey, licensed as lifeguards (60.9%) or were in training for lifeguards-candidates (39.1%). The subsample of students represented 138 male respondents who were studying at the University of Novi Sad. The results indicate that lifeguards in comparison to students are more extraverted, open to experience, and conscientious, less neurotic, and aggressive. Both positive and negative valence are higher in student subsample. All of the above traits are desirable traits for people working as lifeguards.
Topics: Adult; Child; Drowning; Humans; Male; Oceans and Seas; Personality; Students; Water
PubMed: 34948537
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182412927 -
Forensic Science International Jan 2022Drowning is a significant public health problem worldwide and the WHO reported that drowning is the world's third leading unintentional injury death. Nevertheless, there...
INTRODUCTION
Drowning is a significant public health problem worldwide and the WHO reported that drowning is the world's third leading unintentional injury death. Nevertheless, there is still uncertainty regarding the estimate of local and global drowning deaths. In addition, the postmortem diagnosis of drowning is challenging and the physiological mechanisms of death by drowning are complex and not very well understood.
PURPOSE
To analyze a large series of bodies retrieved from the water in Connecticut (U.S.) in order to compare epidemiologic and toxicological data with those of the literature, as well as to examine the weights of the lungs and brains in drowning deaths.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
We conducted a descriptive, retrospective, population-based analysis of all bodies retrieved from the water and subjected to a forensic autopsy at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Connecticut (2008-2020, n = 500). Variables collected were sex, age, date of death, location of drowning, season, type of water, cause of death, manner of death, circumstances of death, signs of decomposition, BMI, brain weight, lung weight, presence of pulmonary edema, stomach contents, and toxicological analysis.
RESULTS
The death rates of drownings in Connecticut ranges from 0.75 to 1.28/100,000/year. They occurred predominantly in males (73.4%) and most were accidents (75.6%), though this gender difference diminishes in suicides (55.4% of males). Sex distribution is also different in bathtub drownings, where women drown more frequently (67.3%). Weights of the brains (p = 0.013) and lungs (p < 0.001) were higher in saltwater drownings.
CONCLUSIONS
Drowning is more frequently an accident involving men, except for suicides where there is only a slight difference among sex. Heavy lungs and cerebral edema continue to be identified in numerous drowning deaths. These anatomic findings, however, must still be interpreted in the context of the entire case investigation. Weights of the brains and lungs are higher in salt water, although these organs' weights are mostly dependent on other variables such as BMI and decomposition.
Topics: Autopsy; Drowning; Female; Humans; Male; Retrospective Studies; Suicide; Water
PubMed: 34894613
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111137 -
The New England Journal of Medicine Oct 2022
Review
Topics: Drowning; Emergencies; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Service, Hospital; Humans; Near Drowning
PubMed: 36198180
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra2202392 -
Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi Feb 2022Diatom detection is an important method for identifying drowning and throwing corpses after death and inferring the drowning sites in forensic examination of corpses in... (Review)
Review
Diatom detection is an important method for identifying drowning and throwing corpses after death and inferring the drowning sites in forensic examination of corpses in water. In recent years,high-throughput sequencing technology has achieved rapid development and has been widely used in research related to diatom taxonomic investigations. This paper reviews the research status and prospects of high-throughput sequencing technology and its application in forensic diatom detection.
Topics: Cadaver; Diatoms; Drowning; Forensic Pathology; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Lung; Technology
PubMed: 35725700
DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2021.410807 -
JAMA Network Open Feb 2022Resuscitation is a niche example of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected society in the long term. Those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) face the...
IMPORTANCE
Resuscitation is a niche example of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected society in the long term. Those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) face the dilemma that attempting to save a life may result in their own harm. This is most of all a problem for drowning, where hypoxia is the cause of cardiac arrest and ventilation is the essential first step in reversing the situation.
OBJECTIVE
To develop recommendations for water rescue organizations in providing their rescuers with safe drowning resuscitation procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
EVIDENCE REVIEW
Two consecutive modified Delphi procedures involving 56 participants from 17 countries with expertise in drowning prevention research, resuscitation, and programming were performed from March 28, 2020, to March 29, 2021. In parallel, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify new emerging evidence relevant to each core element, acknowledge previous studies relevant in the new context, and identify knowledge gaps.
FINDINGS
Seven core elements, each with their own specific recommendations, were identified in the initial consensus procedure and were grouped into 4 categories: (1) prevention and mitigation of the risks of becoming infected, (2) resuscitation of drowned persons during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) organizational responsibilities, and (4) organizations unable to meet the recommended guidelines. The common measures of infection risk mitigation, personal protective equipment, and vaccination are the base of the recommendations. Measures to increase drowning prevention efforts reduce the root cause of the dilemma. Additional infection risk mitigation measures include screening all people entering aquatic facilities, defining criteria for futile resuscitation, and avoiding contact with drowned persons by rescuers with a high-risk profile. Ventilation techniques must balance required skill level, oxygen delivery, infection risk, and costs of equipment and training. Bag-mask ventilation with a high-efficiency particulate air filter by 2 trained rescuers is advised. Major implications for the methods, facilities, and environment of CPR training have been identified, including nonpractical skills to avoid being infected or to infect others. Most of all, the organization is responsible for informing their members about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and taking measures that maximize rescuer safety. Research is urgently needed to better understand, develop, and implement strategies to reduce infection transmission during drowning resuscitation.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This consensus document provides an overview of recommendations for water rescue organizations to improve the safety of their rescuers during the COVID-19 pandemic and balances the competing interests between a potentially lifesaving intervention and risk to the rescuer. The consensus-based recommendations can also serve as an example for other volunteer organizations and altruistic laypeople who may provide resuscitation.
Topics: COVID-19; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Drowning; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Medical Technicians; Heart Arrest; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; Pandemics; Personal Protective Equipment; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35133441
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.47078 -
Perspectives in Public Health Jan 2023Drowning deaths are a leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide. Few studies have analysed the role of meteorology in drowning, and with inconclusive results. The... (Review)
Review
AIMS
Drowning deaths are a leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide. Few studies have analysed the role of meteorology in drowning, and with inconclusive results. The aim of this work is to analyse the temporal and geographical distribution of deaths by accidental drowning and submersion in Spain over 20 years, and to assess the relationship between accidental drowning and main atmospheric circulation patterns.
METHODS
An ecological study was performed, in which drowning and submersion mortality data from 1999 to 2018, considering demographic variables, were analysed. To study the association with atmospheric circulation we used an ERA5 reanalysis product over the whole European continent and the Climatic Research Unit Time Series (CRU TS) data set.
RESULTS
The annual average rate of deaths by accidental drownings was 11.86 deaths per million of habitants in Spain. The incidence in males was four times higher than in females, and when comparing age groups, the rate in the eldest group was the highest. Unintentional drowning deaths were not equally distributed around the country; the provinces with the highest registered standardized drowning death rates were touristic waterfront provinces either in Eastern Spain or in one of the archipelagos. There was a significant relationship between accidental drowning and meteorological variables during summer months, and drowning deaths were spatially correlated with sea-level pressure over the Mediterranean basin.
CONCLUSION
Although the mortality rate registered a statistically significant decreasing tendency over the studied period, our results must be taken into consideration to improve the prevention strategies in the country since most of these deaths are avoidable.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Infant; Drowning; Spain; Cause of Death; Incidence
PubMed: 34284665
DOI: 10.1177/17579139211007181 -
Injury Prevention : Journal of the... Feb 2022Drowning death rates in the African region are estimated to be the highest in the world. Data collection and surveillance for drowning in African countries are limited....
BACKGROUND
Drowning death rates in the African region are estimated to be the highest in the world. Data collection and surveillance for drowning in African countries are limited. We aimed to establish the availability of drowning data in multiple existing administrative data sources in Uganda and to describe the characteristics of drowning based on available data.
METHODS
We conducted a retrospective descriptive study in 60 districts in Uganda using existing administrative records on drowning cases from January 2016 to June 2018 in district police offices, marine police detachments, fire/rescue brigade detachments, and the largest mortuary in those districts. Data were systematically deduplicated to determine and quantify unique drowning cases.
RESULTS
A total of 1435 fatal and non-fatal drowning cases were recorded; 1009 (70%) in lakeside districts and 426 (30%) in non-lakeside districts. Of 1292 fatal cases, 1041 (81%) were identified in only one source. After deduplication, 1283 (89% of recorded cases; 1160 fatal, 123 non-fatal) unique drowning cases remained. Data completeness varied by source and variable. When demographic characteristics were known, fatal victims were predominantly male (n=876, 85%), and the average age was 24 years. In lakeside districts, 81% of fatal cases with a known activity at the time of drowning involved boating.
CONCLUSION
Drowning cases are recorded in administrative sources in Uganda; however, opportunities to improve data coverage and completeness exist. An improved understanding of circumstances of drowning in both lakeside and non-lakeside districts in Uganda is required to plan drowning prevention strategies.
Topics: Adult; Data Collection; Drowning; Female; Humans; Male; Retrospective Studies; Uganda; Young Adult
PubMed: 33637592
DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-044131 -
Pediatrics in Review Mar 2021
Topics: Drowning; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33648991
DOI: 10.1542/pir.2019-0150 -
Scandinavian Journal of Trauma,... Jul 2017In 2002, the World Congress on Drowning developed a uniform definition for drowning. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of "non-uniform drowning... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In 2002, the World Congress on Drowning developed a uniform definition for drowning. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of "non-uniform drowning terminology" (NUDT) and "non-uniform drowning definitions" (NUDD) in peer-reviewed scientific literature from 2010 to 2016, and compare these findings with those from our unpublished study performing a similar analysis on literature from 2003 to 2010.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed using drowning-specific search terms in Pubmed and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts published between July 2010 and January 2016 were screened for relevance to the study focus. Articles meeting screening criteria were reviewed for exclusion criteria to produce the final group of studies. These articles were reviewed by four reviewers for NUDT and NUDD. The Fisher exact test was used to determine any statistically significant changes.
RESULTS
The final group of studies included 167 articles. A total of 53 articles (32%) utilized NUDT, with 100% of these including the term "near drowning". The proportion of articles utilizing NUDT was significantly less than reported by our previous study (p < 0.05). In addition, 32% of the articles included a definition for drowning (uniform or non-uniform), with 15% of these utilizing NUDD.
DISCUSSION
Our study reveals a statistically significant improvement over the past thirteen years in the use of uniform drowning terminology in peer-reviewed scientific literature, although year-to-year variability over the current study period does not yield an obvious trend.
CONCLUSIONS
Of the articles reviewed during the 2010-2016 study period, 32% included outdated and non-uniform drowning terminology and definitions. While this reveals an absolute decrease of 11% as compared with the previous study period (2003-2010), there is still significant room for improvement.
Topics: Drowning; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 28716063
DOI: 10.1186/s13049-017-0405-x