I have to confess that until a few years ago I was quite ignorant about dry drowning. It is not something that come across very often. It came to my attention when I read a story in the newspaper about a 10-year-old boy who died several hours after being in a swimming pool and the newspaper report had said that he had died from dry drowning. Hmm I thought - time to find out a bit more about this.
And it is definately high on our first aid teaching agenda - it is so important. www.safeandsound.uk.net
Your baby, child, or even an adult has a near drowning incident but recovers quickly and you think everything is ok so you don't get them checked out - the result can be disasterous and in some cases fatal like the poor youngster in the news story.
Dry drowning or secondary drowning is basically drowning without water. With dry drowning you are not drowning from an immediate immersion in water; it is more of a delayed effect of a small amount of water in the lungs.
This can trigger a reaction in the lungs which can be fatal, even 24hrs after the initial incident!
Why is this?
If enough water is inhaled then it can wash away the chemical (surfactant) which keeps part of the lungs (alveoli) open. Without this surfactant the lungs begin to collapse. Then the body’s fluids as well as those swallowed/inhaled may seep into the lungs. This prevents oxygen and carbon dioxide from being exchanged and effectively cause the patient to drown (asphyxiate). This can occur much later than the initial incident and without any more fluid being inhaled.
The symptoms include:
Lethargy
Difficulty in breathing
Pain when breathing (especially when taking deep breaths)
Coughing
Possible wheezing
Symptoms are sometimes exacerbated when lying flat.
In young children, submersion in cold water (10 degrees C) can stimulate a reaction known as the 'Mammalian Diving Reflex'. This causes the child to enter into a similar state to hibernation whereby the body slows its breathing and heart rate. This is good news as it can increase a child’s chances of survival.
One of our trainers who is also an A & E nurse recalls a situation when she was involved in the resuscitation of a toddler who had drowned in the family pond. The accident happened in February on a cold but sunny winter morning. The two older children of the family went out to play in the garden but didn't realise the toddler had followed them. After approximately 20 minutes, dad spotted the toddler face down in the pond. He retrieved him and started CPR, as luckily he had been trained. An ambulance was called and when it arrived the paramedics started more advanced life support and brought him to the emergency department. On his arrival this little boy was significantly hypothermic and was resuscitated for almost an hour before his heart spontaneously re-started. The child made a full recovery.
You may just want to jump on in to rescue somebody but It is important to remember that you should only enter the water if you are sure you will not become a casualty yourself.
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