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drowning

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Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer assistance. After successful resuscitation, drowning victims may experience breathing problems, confusion, or unconsciousness. Occasionally, victims may not begin experiencing these symptoms until several hours after they are rescued. An incident of drowning can also cause further complicat

AI overview

Drowning is a type of suffocation that occurs when a person's mouth and nose are submerged in liquid, and it matters because most fatal drowning cases happen when victims are alone or when others nearby cannot help them. People who survive drowning may experience serious health problems like breathing difficulties and loss of consciousness, sometimes not appearing until hours after rescue.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition.name
Drowning
Medical condition.image
Wassilij Grigorjewitsch Perow 002.jpg
Medical condition.caption
Vasily Perov: The Drowned, 1867
Medical condition.field
Emergency medicine, Critical care medicine
Medical condition.symptoms
Event: Often occurs silently with a person found unconsciousAfter rescue: Breathing problems, confusion, unconsciousness
Medical condition.complications
Hypothermia, aspiration, acute respiratory distress syndrome
Medical condition.onset
Rapid
Medical condition.risks
Alcohol use, epilepsy, access to water, cold water shock, storms
Medical condition.diagnosis
Based on symptoms
Medical condition.differential
Suicide, seizure, murder, hypoglycemia, heart arrhythmia
Medical condition.prevention
Fencing pools, teaching children to swim, safe boating practices
Medical condition.treatment
Rescue breathing, CPR, mechanical ventilation
Medical condition.medication
Oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, vasopressors
Medical condition.frequency
4.5 million (2015)
Medical condition.deaths
300,000 (2024)

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

8,416 papers

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image
Wassilij Grigorjewitsch Perow 002.jpg
Show 2 more facts
Commons category
Drowning
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~61 min read

Article

33 sections
Contents
  • Risk factors
  • Freediving
  • Pathophysiology
  • Oxygen deprivation
  • Water aspiration
  • Cold-water immersion
  • Diagnosis
  • Forensics
  • Prevention
  • Water safety
  • Time limits
  • Management
  • Rescue
  • Start and rescue methods from the ground
  • Rescue by swimming
  • First aid
  • Medical care
  • Prognosis
  • Children
  • Long-term effects of drowning in children
  • Infant risk
  • Epidemiology
  • South Asia
  • Africa
  • United States
  • Society and culture
  • Old terminology
  • Dry drowning
  • Capital punishment
  • Experience
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer assistance. After successful resuscitation, drowning victims may experience breathing problems, confusion, or unconsciousness. Occasionally, victims may not begin experiencing these symptoms until several hours after they are rescued. An incident of drowning can also cause further complications for victims due to low body temperature, aspiration, or acute respiratory distress syndrome (respiratory failure from lung inflammation).

Drowning is more likely to happen when spending extended periods near large bodies of water. Risk factors for drowning include alcohol use, drug use, epilepsy, minimal swim training or a complete lack of training, and, in the case of children, a lack of supervision. Common drowning locations include natural and man-made bodies of water, bathtubs, and swimming pools.

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