People spend more time in pools, rivers, lakes, and on beaches during the hot summer months. While water offers an escape from the heat, it’s important to keep water safety in mind. Recent headlines have increased awareness and concerns about dry drowning and secondary drowning, but should parents worry?
It’s hard not to worry when you see the alarming stories: a child gets out of the pool or lake and seems fine… till they suddenly lose consciousness and drown, minutes or hours after they’ve left the water. But it’s not that simple — or that scary.
How common are dry drowning and secondary drowning, and can they be prevented?
What’s the difference between dry drowning and secondary drowning?
While drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children, and fifth leading cause for all ages, dry drowning and secondary drowning are both extremely rare.
Typically these post-immersion respiratory syndromes only occur after a near drowning incident. Both can happen in adults, but most cases of dry drowning and secondary drowning involve young children.
Dry drowning occurs when water is inhaled and causes muscle spasms in the airway, which blocks airflow. With secondary drowning water is inhaled into the lungs. The water irritates the lungs which could cause them to fill with fluid – this isknown as pulmonary edema – making it difficult to breathe.
Some physicians reject these terms altogether, and simply include them under the umbrella of drowning.
What are the symptoms of dry drowning and secondary drowning?
The symptoms of dry drowning begin almost immediately after a drowning incident, while secondary drowning symptoms may start 1-24 hours after water enters the lungs. Symptoms may include coughing, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and lethargy.
What are ways to prevent dry drowning or secondary drowning?
These syndromes are very rare, and while you don’t need to prevent dry drowning specifically, the best way to prevent it is the same methods you would prevent drowning.
- Teach your children water safety, and teach them to float and swim.
- Make sure that young children – and children that cannot swim – wear proper flotation devices. All children under 12 must wear a life jacket on a boat in the state of Arkansas.
- Always keep an eye on children when they’re in or around water.
- Parents should learn CPR.
- Don’t swim alone.
- Pay attention to the weather and surroundings.
- Examine swimming areas for hazards.
What to do in the event of secondary or dry drowning.
There are warning signs for these syndromes, and if they’re going to occur they will most likely follow a near-drowning event. Watch your child closely after a near-drowning to see if he or she starts to show symptoms of dry drowning or secondary drowning.
If you believe your child is showing symptoms of dry drowning or secondary drowning call your child’s pediatrician. They can advise you on what to do and whether to seek medical attention.
FAQs
Any problems that do develop are usually treatable if you get medical care right away. Your job is to keep a close eye on your child for the 24 hours after they have had any problems in the water. If the symptoms don't go away, or if they get worse, take your child to the emergency room, not your pediatrician's office.
How does a DR check for secondary drowning? ›
Drowning and dry drowning happen right away, whereas the secondary drowning timeline can have symptoms developing a day or two after being submerged in water. A health care professional can recognize or check for common signs and symptoms: Abnormal breathing or fluid in the lungs. Low blood oxygen levels.
How long after inhaling water does secondary drowning occur? ›
Secondary drowning most commonly occurs an hour to 24 hours after the incident. If your child takes in water and continues to cough a few hours later or seems to be having difficulty breathing, seek emergency care immediately.
Can you be saved from secondary drowning? ›
If caught early enough secondary drowning is easily treated with the administration of oxygen or the use of a ventilation system at a hospital, but if untreated it can be fatal.
How do I know if my child has water in his lungs? ›
Chest pain: Difficulty breathing can cause pain in the chest where your child's lungs are. Irritability and forgetfulness: When your child's brain doesn't get enough oxygen, it can impact their mood. Low energy: Your child may seem more tired and sluggish than normal if they aren't getting enough oxygen.
Does secondary drowning always have a cough? ›
Coughing or breathing difficulties.
These problems are the most common symptoms, and they're not subtle — think frequent and uncontrollable coughing and/or visible shortness of breath. Older children may complain of chest pain.
Is dry drowning the same as secondary drowning? ›
Dry drowning occurs when water is inhaled and causes muscle spasms in the airway, which blocks airflow. With secondary drowning water is inhaled into the lungs. The water irritates the lungs which could cause them to fill with fluid – this is known as pulmonary edema – making it difficult to breathe.
How to get water out of lungs? ›
For large pleural effusions, or for those with an unknown cause, the fluid will need to be drained through a procedure called thoracentesis. This involves inserting a needle in the space between the lung and the chest wall and draining the liquid.
What respiratory failure is secondary to drowning? ›
After successful rescue from drowning there may develop a situation which is called secondary drowning, resulting in acute respiratory distress characterized by interstitial pulmonary oedema, hypoxaemia, hypercapnia and acidosis during drowning, direct alteration of the alveolar membrane by aspirated water and ...
How do you treat secondary drowning at home? ›
You need to get the person to the emergency room if you suspect secondary drowning. It's crucial to seek medical care since secondary drowning can be fatal. Depending on how severe it is, it can be treated with oxygen, antibiotics or diuretics, which can help eliminate fluid in the lungs.
While bath water usually contains soap, shampoo or oil residue, it is so dilute that it will not cause any harm. If a large amount is swallowed, it may cause minor stomach upset due to irritant effect of bath products.
How long do you have to revive someone after drowning? ›
An average person can last between one and three minutes before falling unconscious and around ten minutes before dying. In an unusual case with the best conditions, a person was resuscitated after 65 minutes underwater.
When should I be worried about dry drowning? ›
Symptoms of dry drowning
The laryngospasm could be mild, causing breathing to become difficult, or it can be severe, preventing any oxygen from getting in or out of the lungs. Symptoms to watch for after a water incident include: difficulty breathing or speaking. irritability or unusual behavior.
How to test for secondary drowning? ›
Because most symptoms of non-fatal drowning occur within 6-8 hours from the submersion, it would be important to keep a close eye on your child and watch for breathing difficulties, skin color changes, persistent vomiting, or abnormal behavior. If any of these symptoms occur, you should seek medical care immediately.
Can secondary drowning cause pneumonia? ›
Near-drowning results in multiple complications, including aspiration pneumonia, that often lead to life-threatening conditions.
How do I know if my baby is aspirating? ›
Aspiration can cause symptoms including:
- Coughing when drinking, particularly with thin liquids.
- Difficulty feeding.
- Frequent respiratory infections or recurrent pneumonia.
- Noisy breathing while drinking.
- Gagging during meals.
- Back arching during feeding.
- Skin turning a bluish color.
Cold or Flu
Some believe that physical activity might even make the child feel better – that it will help clear a congested head/nose. However, swimmers with contagious illnesses including flu, cough or a fever are much better served staying at home and resting.
What happens if water gets in your lungs while drinking? ›
When food, drink, or stomach contents make their way into your lungs, they can damage the tissues there. The damage can sometimes be severe. Aspiration also increases your risk of pneumonia. This is an infection of the lungs that causes fluid to build up in the lungs.
