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What Is Secondary Drowning?
By Christina Quick | June 4, 2008
A frightening story in today’s news draws attention to a phenomenon called secondary drowning.
Ten-year-old Johnny Jackson died Sunday several hours after inhaling water in a swimming pool at his South Carolina apartment complex. (The Associated Press story says he “swallowed” the water, but apparently it was aspirated into his lungs.)
After returning from the pool, the boy complained he was tired and took a nap. When an adult later checked on him, he was in respiratory distress.
The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C., reported when the boy was found his lips were blue and he was foaming at the mouth. He later died at a local hospital. A coroner said there was water in his lungs, which caused asphyxiation.
“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this,” the boy’s mother told the Charleston paper. “It’s really bizarre.”
Secondary drowning occurs in approximately 5 percent of near-drowning victims. Experts recommend medical attention for anyone who experiences breathing difficulty, pain, or other worrisome symptoms after being submerged, even if they seem to recover.
Though secondary drowning is somewhat rare, drowning in all its forms is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14. As the swimming season gets underway, such tragedies serve as a reminder to parents to be vigilant about water safety, supervising kids in and around the water and insisting on lifejackets when boating.
Topics: Health |
