Pediatric Drowning

In the United States, drowning is a leading cause of death in children and a major cause of disability, as many survivors experience moderate to severe neurologic complications. Management of the drowning patient should focus on preventing further anoxic damage and identifying and treating complications. There are three phases of interventions for the drowning patient:

• Prehospital
• Emergency department
• Inpatient care

This Module from Children's Hospital Association discusses a systematic approach to the rapid assessment and management of the drowning patient, both in the emergency department and in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Free continuing education credits are available. Enroll in the course and open the module to view the course info and details for claiming CE.

• Define drowning and submersion injury.
• Describe drowning classification types, risk factors, pathophysiology and damage to organ systems as a result of drowning.
• Discuss management strategies of the drowning victim in the prehospital setting, the emergency department and inpatient setting such as the PICU.
• Explain the predictors of patient outcomes of drowning injuries.
• Outline strategies to prevent drowning in the pediatric population.