Symptoms, Origins, and Medical Consultation Needed for Dry Drowning
In the realm of water safety, it's crucial to be aware of the different types of drowning and the symptoms to look out for. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Red Cross urge immediate medical attention if a child shows signs of drowning, even after seemingly non-fatal incidents.
Drowning is defined as experiencing breathing difficulties or other respiratory problems after being submerged or immersed in liquid. While the term "near drowning" was once used, it is now considered medically inaccurate, and the correct terms are fatal and nonfatal drowning.
Wet drowning, or regular drowning, occurs when water enters the lungs, filling the airways and impairing oxygen exchange, leading to suffocation. Symptoms include difficulty breathing or inability to breathe, coughing up water or frothy sputum, unconsciousness, bluish skin colour due to lack of oxygen, gurgling or choking sounds, and rapid breathing or wheezing.
Dry drowning, on the other hand, does not involve water entering the lungs. Instead, water exposure can cause a reflex called laryngospasm, where the vocal cords spasm and close off the airway, preventing air from entering the lungs. Symptoms of dry drowning include sudden onset of coughing or choking without water in the lungs, difficulty breathing or noisy breathing (stridor), hoarseness or inability to speak, chest pain or tightness, rapid breathing or wheezing, and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness.
A related but distinct condition is delayed or secondary drowning, which occurs when a small amount of water enters the lungs but not enough to cause immediate respiratory distress. Over several hours, the water can impair lung function, leading to progressive breathing difficulties and oxygen deprivation. Symptoms of delayed drowning include persistent cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue or lethargy, and, in children, vomiting or irritability.
In all cases of suspected drowning, immediate action is required. Call emergency services, and if the person is unconscious and not breathing, start CPR promptly. For wet drowning, clearing the airway and providing rescue breaths is critical due to water in the lungs. For dry drowning, emergency airway management may be necessary due to airway spasm. Supportive care, such as oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation, may be needed in a hospital to restore oxygen levels.
Prevention is key in reducing the risk of drowning. This includes supervising children closely in or near any amount of water, taking swimming lessons, wearing life jackets, fencing off pools or water features, learning CPR, never swimming alone, and swimming in areas where a lifeguard is on duty.
It's essential to remember that any signs of coughing, sleepiness, confusion, breathing difficulties, or hard or fast breathing within 2-3 hours after a near-drowning incident in a child warrant contacting a doctor. Children between the ages of 1-4 are most at risk of drowning.
In cases of suspected drowning, anyone trained should immediately begin CPR and get someone else to call for emergency help. If vital signs are in safe ranges, the person will usually be monitored for between 4-6 hours. Depending on their condition, they may be discharged or admitted to the hospital for longer-term monitoring and care.
In summary, wet drowning involves water in the lungs causing immediate breathing failure, while dry drowning involves airway closure without lung water, also causing breathing failure. Both require urgent medical attention, but delayed respiratory problems can arise hours later in some cases after water exposure, necessitating careful monitoring.
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