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International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2022Drowning causes significant mortality and morbidity globally, and infants (0-4 years of age) are disproportionately impacted. In a groundbreaking approach to pediatric... (Review)
Review
Drowning causes significant mortality and morbidity globally, and infants (0-4 years of age) are disproportionately impacted. In a groundbreaking approach to pediatric drowning prevention, ecological psychology has been used to investigate the relationship between infants' perceptual-motor development and their behavior around bodies of water. In this review, we summarize recent research findings in the field of ecological psychology and apply these to the prevention of infant drowning. Studies have linked infants' avoidance of falls into the water with locomotor experience and type of accessway into bodies of water. Through crawling experience, infants learn to perceive the risk of falling into water and start adapting their behavior to avoid drop-offs leading into water. Infants tend to enter deep water more when the access is via a slope than via a drop-off. We propose that ecological psychology can enhance infant drowning prevention interventions. The aim is to create an additional layer of protection, the perceptual information layer, in addition to existing strategies, such as supervision and barriers. This new protective layer can be a powerful tool to further highlight the risk of entering the water and reduce infant drowning-related mortality and morbidity.
Topics: Child; Drowning; Humans; Infant; Water
PubMed: 35457435
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084567 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Sep 2016Aquatic sports are included in the top list of risky practices as the environment per se carries a possibility of death by drowning if not rescued in time. Not only are... (Review)
Review
Aquatic sports are included in the top list of risky practices as the environment per se carries a possibility of death by drowning if not rescued in time. Not only are aquatic sports related to a high risk of death, but also all sports practiced on the water, over the water and on ice. Whatever the reason a person is in the water, drowning carries a higher possibility of death if the individual is unable to cope with the water situation, which may simply be caused by an inability to stay afloat and get out of the water or by an injury or disease that may lead to physical inability or unconsciousness. The competitive nature of sports is a common pathway that leads the sports person to exceed their ability to cope with the environment or simply misjudge their physical capability. Drowning involves some principles and medical interventions that are rarely found in other medical situations as it occurs in a deceptively hostile environment that may not seem dangerous. Therefore, it is essential that health professionals are aware of the complete sequence of action in drowning. This article focuses on the pulmonary injury in sports and recreational activities where drowning plays the major role.
Topics: Algorithms; Athletic Injuries; Critical Pathways; Drowning; Humans; Lung; Lung Injury; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Sports
PubMed: 27581833
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0038-2016 -
Health Promotion International Oct 2023Little is known about unintentional drowning deaths in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous and largest archipelagic country. This study aimed to describe the... (Review)
Review
Little is known about unintentional drowning deaths in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous and largest archipelagic country. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology and risk factors of unintentional drowning in Indonesia and explore existing health promotion and drowning prevention approaches in Indonesia within a socio-ecological health promotion framework. A scoping review, guided by PRISMA-ScR, was conducted to locate peer-reviewed studies and government reports/policy documents published until May 2023, in English or Indonesian language, using MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Informit, PsycINFO (ProQuest), Scopus, SafetyLit, BioMed Central and Google Scholar, Indonesian journal databases (Sinta, Garuda) and government agencies websites around the terms: drown, swim, flood, hurricane, cyclone, disaster, water rescue and maritime/boat safety. This review identified 32 papers. However, a paucity of information on unintentional drowning rates, risk factors and prevention in Indonesia was noted. The unavailability of a coordinated national drowning data collection system in Indonesia, from which national and subnational subcategory data can be collected, underlines the possibility of under-representation of drowning mortality. The association between various exposures and drowning incidents has not been fully investigated. An over-reliance on individual-focused, behaviour-based, preventive measures was observed. These findings highlight the need for improving drowning surveillance to ensure the availability and reliability of drowning data; and strengthening research to understand the risk factors for drowning and delivery of drowning prevention programs. Further policy development and research focusing on health promotion approaches that reflect a socio-ecological approach to drowning prevention in Indonesia is imperative.
Topics: Humans; Drowning; Indonesia; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Factors; Health Promotion
PubMed: 37851464
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad130 -
Canadian Journal of Public Health =... Apr 2021This study aimed to examine the occurrence and characteristics of child drowning deaths on farms compared with other child injury deaths on farms.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the occurrence and characteristics of child drowning deaths on farms compared with other child injury deaths on farms.
METHODS
This study uses cross-sectional data from the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting Program for the years 1990 through 2012. Using χ tests and regression, it compares the occurrence of demographics and potential risk factors between drowning deaths and all other injury deaths among children (< 19 years of age) on farms.
RESULTS
There were 44 drowning deaths and 306 non-drowning deaths identified. Drowning deaths were at younger age (mean age of 5.4 versus 8.8 years old), non-work-related (25% versus 79%), and less likely to occur during adult supervision (36.4% versus 53.5%).
CONCLUSIONS
Drowning disproportionately affects the very young. Improving supervision of young children may prevent some farm drowning deaths, but installing effective barriers to water hazards is likely more effective.
Topics: Canada; Child; Child, Preschool; Demography; Drowning; Farms; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33090360
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-020-00418-y -
Injury Prevention : Journal of the... Oct 2023To characterise risk factors for fatal drowning in California, USA to inform priorities for prevention, policy and research.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise risk factors for fatal drowning in California, USA to inform priorities for prevention, policy and research.
METHODS
This retrospective population-based epidemiological review of death certificate data evaluated fatal drowning events in California from 2005 to 2019. Unintentional, intentional, and undetermined drowning deaths and rates were described by person (age, sex, race) and context-based variables (region and body of water).
RESULTS
California's fatal drowning rate was 1.48 per 100 000 population (n=9237). Highest total fatal drowning rates occurred in the lower population density northern regions, among older adults (75-84 years: 2.54 per 100 000 population; 85+: 3.47 per 100 000 population) and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons (2.84 per 100 000 population). Male drowning deaths occurred at 2.7 times the rate of females; drowning deaths occurred mainly in swimming pools (27%), rivers/canals (22.4%) and coastal waters (20.2%). The intentional fatal drowning rate increased 89% during the study period.
CONCLUSIONS
California's overall fatal drowning rate was similar to the rest of the USA but differed among subpopulations. These divergences from national data, along with regional differences in drowning population and context-related characteristics, underscore the need for state and regional level analyses to inform drowning prevention policy, programmes and research.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Infant; Aged; Drowning; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; California; Rivers
PubMed: 37208006
DOI: 10.1136/ip-2023-044862 -
BMC Public Health May 2017According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide, accounting for 370,000 annual deaths and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide, accounting for 370,000 annual deaths and 7% of all injury-related deaths. Low- and middle-income countries are the most affected, accounting for 91% of unintentional drowning deaths.
METHODS
The authors performed a systematic review of literature indexed in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Traumatology journals formerly indexed in PubMed in January 2014 and again in September 2016. Abstracts were limited to human studies in English, conducted in low- and middle-income countries, and containing quantitative data on drowning epidemiology.
RESULTS
A total of 62 articles met inclusion criteria. The majority of articles originate from Asia (56%) and Africa (26%). Risk factors for drowning included young age (<17-20 years old), male gender (75% vs. 25% female), rural environment (84% vs. 16% urban), occurring in the daytime (95% vs. 5% night time), lack of adult supervision (76% vs. 18% supervised), and limited swimming ability (86% vs. 10% with swimming ability). There was almost equal risk of drowning in a small body of water versus a large body of water (42% ponds, ditches, streams, wells; 46% lakes, rivers, sea, ocean).
CONCLUSION
Drowning is a significant cause of injury-related deaths, especially in LMICs. Young males who are unsupervised in rural areas and have limited formal swimming instruction are at greatest risk of drowning in small bodies of water around their homes. Preventative strategies include covering wells and cisterns, fencing off ditches and small ponds, establishing community daycares, providing formal swimming lessons, and increasing awareness of the risks of drowning.
Topics: Age Distribution; Developing Countries; Drowning; Humans; Rivers; Sex Distribution; Water Wells
PubMed: 28482868
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4239-2 -
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 -
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 -
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