Have You Heard of Secondary Drowning?

I hadn't heard of it either until summer of 08'. Our Little Miss S had a mishap in a kiddie pool that summer and went under for a few seconds. One of the Mom's at the pool had told me the story of 10 year old Johnny from South Carolina. We were "On Watch" for a few days after that. Here is some info on secondary drowning. Please take a few minutes and read.

 Secondary drowning is a condition where water, or other fluids, has entered the lungs but the person may be conscious and not fully aware of what has occurred. This also sometimes happens with a near drowning victim. That is, prior to being pulled out of the water they inhale fluid into their lungs.

The general warning signs for secondary drowning include: coughing; trouble breathing; pain in the lungs or chest especially when taking a deep breath; and a feeling of swallowing or inhaling water.

 It is vital that this person get medical attention as quickly as possible. As the name implies, the person can drown even several hours later as the fluid in the lungs impairs the breathing process. Water also will damage the inside surface of the lung, collapse thealveoli and cause a hardening of the lungs which will reduce the ability to exchange air.

 A recent case in the US brought secondary drowning to the attention of the general public. Johnny, a 10-year-old, spent 45 minutes splashing around in a pool. He had arm bands on and was watched by an adult throughout the time he was in the pool. A few hours later, after returning home and taking a nap, Johnny's mother found him unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Unfortunately, Johnny died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital. A preliminary autopsy showed the cause of death was asphyxiation due to drowning.

According to a spokesman for American College of Emergency Physicians, "Johnny would have only had to inhale four ounces of water to drown, and even less to injure his lung enough to become a victim of secondary drowning.*"

Why am I writing about this tonight? Well Z Man went under for a few seconds today at the pool. He came up coughing and he was just fine. Nothing to worry about, right? Well, the story of Johnny continues to haunt me when I see a kid choke on water in the pool, any pool. It could be so easy to breathe in waterthat is just being splashed at you. So please, please, pay attention. If your kid has taken in any water that day, please pay attention to them for 48 hours afterward. Remember these symptoms:

   1. coughing
   2. trouble breathing
   3. pain in the lungs or chest especially when taking a deep breath
   4. feeling of swallowing or inhaling water

Z Man will be sleeping in our room tonight. I just want to be able to hear him breath. I just want to be able to hear him if he has trouble breathing. It's just one night. It's worth it!

So, please, please pass this information to all your friends and family. Post it, repost it, Tweet it, Retweet it, just please tell everyone you can. I feel empowered just knowing this information.


*Found at First Aid Topics

Comments

[Rebecca Wear Robinson]

So glad you heard the story - and even better you are paying such close attention to your kids!

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I remember the story about Johnny also. Thank you for spreading the word.

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I also read that freshwater can be more dangerous than saltwater in secondary drowning. When fresh water enters the lungs it is pulled into the pulmonary circulation via the alveoli because of the low capillary hydrostatic pressure and high colloid osmotic pressure. Consequently, the plasma is diluted and the hypotonic environment causes red blood cells to burst (hemolysis).

[Heather]

How horrible. Thanks for letting people know.

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