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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 -
Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi Jun 2019Dead bodies found in the water are not all caused by drowning. The important task of forensic identification is to distinguish between entering the water before and... (Review)
Review
Dead bodies found in the water are not all caused by drowning. The important task of forensic identification is to distinguish between entering the water before and after death, and to clarify the cause of death. In the practice of forensic identification, drowning is generally diagnosed on the basis of comprehensive considerations such as cadaveric signs, histopathological examinations, and diatom tests, with the exclusion of other causes of death. The emergence of virtopsy techniques provides new insights for the diagnosis of drowning. This paper reviews the post-mortem imaging studies of sinus and mastoid small chambers, respiratory tracts, lung tissues, gastrointestinal tracts and blood in the corpses in recent years. The value, potential of virtopsy in the diagnosis of drowning is discussed, with the prospects of its development direction.
Topics: Cadaver; Diatoms; Drowning; Forensic Pathology; Humans; Lung
PubMed: 31282630
DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.03.013 -
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 -
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 -
The Lancet. Public Health Sep 2021Drowning is a leading killer, particularly of children and young adults, yet has been greatly neglected. Despite accounting for a higher number of deaths than many other... (Review)
Review
Drowning is a leading killer, particularly of children and young adults, yet has been greatly neglected. Despite accounting for a higher number of deaths than many other substantial public health issues, drowning has not benefitted from the targeted attention it requires, which is particularly tragic because low cost and effective drowning prevention interventions exist. Therefore, the recent UN General Assembly's adoption of a resolution on global drowning prevention is a historic first, and offers an exciting opportunity by providing a comprehensive framework and a practical roadmap that a range of actors and sectors, including governments, can follow to address the challenge of drowning prevention.
Topics: Drowning; Global Health; Humans; Public Health; United Nations
PubMed: 34310906
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00165-1 -
Cell May 2019The virome is increasingly recognized as a key part of individual cells (as endogenous retroviruses or persistent infection) and multicellular organisms (as either...
The virome is increasingly recognized as a key part of individual cells (as endogenous retroviruses or persistent infection) and multicellular organisms (as either pathogens or commensals) and, as shown by Gregory et al. (2019), as diverse components of ocean ecosystems.
Topics: DNA; Drowning; Humans; Microbiota; Viruses
PubMed: 31100262
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.045 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021Drowning is described as a public health challenge by the World Health Organization. This challenge faces the Philippines where drowning claims an average of 3276 lives...
"I Want to See a Drowning-Free Philippines": A Qualitative Study of the Current Situation, Key Challenges and Future Recommendations for Drowning Prevention in the Philippines.
Drowning is described as a public health challenge by the World Health Organization. This challenge faces the Philippines where drowning claims an average of 3276 lives annually (3.50/100,000 population). However, no research comprehensively documents prevention strategies implemented by government and non-government agencies at a national or local level in the Philippines. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the current situation and key challenges of preventing drowning in the Philippines through key informant interviews and make recommendations to guide prevention efforts. Interviews were conducted among government and non-government agencies involved in drowning prevention using purposive sampling. Qualitative data collected were thematically analyzed. Findings indicate government and non-government agencies implement drowning prevention programs or strategies based on the mandate of their institutions. Most commonly cited were activities related to education or information awareness, emergency and disaster preparedness, and swimming skills. It was revealed that each agency was relatively unaware of the drowning prevention programs of other agencies. A multisector approach is needed to develop coordinated and comprehensive programs and activities aimed at preventing drowning. In this way, duplication will be avoided and the minimal resources available will be used effectively to reduce the burden of drowning in the Philippines.
Topics: Drowning; Humans; Philippines; Public Health; Qualitative Research; Swimming
PubMed: 33419053
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020381 -
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 -
PloS One 2021Coastal drowning is a global public health problem which requires evidence to support safety initiatives. The growing multidisciplinary body of coastal drowning research... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Coastal drowning is a global public health problem which requires evidence to support safety initiatives. The growing multidisciplinary body of coastal drowning research and associated prevention countermeasures is diverse and has not been characterised as a whole. The objective of this scoping review was to identify key concepts, findings, evidence and research gaps in the coastal drowning literature to guide future research and inform prevention activities.
METHODS
We conducted a scoping review to identify peer reviewed studies published before May 2020 reporting either (i) fatal unintentional coastal drowning statistics from non-boating, -disaster or -occupational aetiologies; (ii) risk factors for unintentional fatal coastal drowning; or (iii) coastal drowning prevention strategies. Systematic searches were conducted in six databases, two authors independently screened studies for inclusion and one author extracted data using a standardised data charting form developed by the study team.
RESULTS
Of the 146 included studies, the majority (76.7%) were from high income countries, 87 (59.6%) reported coastal drowning deaths, 61 (41.8%) reported risk factors, and 88 (60.3%) reported prevention strategies. Populations, data sources and coastal water site terminology in the studies varied widely; as did reported risk factors, which most frequently related to demographics such as gender and age. Prevention strategies were commonly based on survey data or expert opinion and primarily focused on education, lifeguards and signage. Few studies (n = 10) evaluated coastal drowning prevention strategies.
DISCUSSION
Coastal drowning is an expansive, multidisciplinary field that demands cross-sector collaborative research. Gaps to be addressed in coastal safety research include the lack of research from lower resourced settings, unclear and inconsistent terminology and reporting, and the lack of evaluation for prevention strategies. Advancing coastal drowning science will result in a stronger evidence base from which to design and implement effective countermeasures that ultimately save lives and keep people safe.
Topics: Drowning; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33524054
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246034 -
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