Drowning occurs when someone cannot breathe after going below the surface of water or another liquid. When someone is drowning, lung damage and exposure to liquid cause the major lung passageways to spasm, stopping airflow. Ultimately, people who drown die from a lack of oxygen. Today, doctors realize that a person can die if even a little bit of water enters their lungs. Some researchers and doctors still occasionally use the term dry drowning.
When they do, it typically refers to cases in which water or another liquid causes the voice box and vocal folds to spasm.
A severe spasm can reduce airflow enough to be fatal. Aside from dry drowning, most health authorities and organizations discourage the use of the following medically inaccurate terms:. Near drowning once referred to cases in which a person survived for some period after seeming to have drowned.
The American Red Cross recommend using the terms fatal and nonfatal drowning. Active drowning typically refers to people who are conscious when they drown, while passive drowning usually refers to people who are unconscious.
If a person was recently in the water, inhaling liquid, splashed with liquid, or drinking, and they show any of the following signs, seek emergency care:. Watch people — especially children — who cough or sputter for a bit before breathing normally again.
If they develop any of the above signs at any point, seek immediate medical help. If a person seems to lack oxygen or may have drowned, anyone trained should immediately begin CPR and get someone else to call for emergency help. Once the person arrives at the emergency room, they will often undergo medical tests to determine how well they are breathing.
Doctors will also check their vital signs, such as their heart rate, body temperature, and oxygen levels. If the vital signs are all normal, healthcare professionals will usually monitor the person for around 4—6 hours , then allow them to leave the emergency department. If not, they will admit the person to the hospital for longer-term monitoring and care.
There are ways to help prevent drowning. Most involve practicing water safety. Many people say that infant swimming can have many benefits. Are there any risks?
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If the episode lingers or the person seems to be in distress, he advises calling for medical assistance. Boniface encourages everyone to know the risks for, and symptoms of, drowning, and to always keep a watchful eye on children when they are in or around water.
And this means being diligent with close, constant adult supervision that is not distracted by cooking, cleaning, reading or talking on a cellphone. It means somebody watching the water at all times. Hot tubs and bathtubs — even buckets of water — could represent risks for infants or toddlers, he says.
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