1 in 10 children falls prey to drowning related hospitalisation, death: Study

In a new research it has been found that one in every 10 children who sustain injuries related to drowning end up dying despite comprehensive medical care after being admitted to a hospital.

The study was discussed in a meeting 'American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 National Conference & Exhibition.'

"Although there has been a recent decline in drowning-related deaths in children, drowning continues to claim the lives of three children every day in the United States," said author Krishna Kishore Umapathi, MD, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"It remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14," he added.

The team of researchers analysed 2003-2016 data from a large, population-based hospital database, focusing on all patients up to 20 years of age with a diagnosis of drowning. The data revealed several demographic factors that significantly increased the risk of drowning-related hospitalizations. These included:

being under 5 years of age, male, and Caucasianhaving public insurance (Medicaid)

They also discovered that drowning hospitalisations patterns were seen mostly on weekends and in a swimming pool. They occurred more frequently in the West and South than in the Northeast or Midwest.

The study also identified complications from drowning that was significantly associated with a child's death after being hospitalized. These included cerebral edema, acute kidney injury, seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome were a few to name.

Other factors associated with fewer chances of survival includes a history of autism/intellectual disability and having needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, or therapeutic hypothermia.

In addition to the tragic toll drowning has on families and communities, hospitalizations from this preventable injury place a high financial burden on the health care system. The average drowning hospitalization charge is $41,000, the study determined.