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Drowning is defined as “the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid.” (1) A drowning or submersion event is described either as fatal or nonfatal with or without morbidity. Older terms such as near, dry, wet, active, passive, secondary, or delayed drowning are no longer used when describing submersions. The use of consistent terminology is advisable to clarify reporting of drowning data and to drive a cohesive strategy for drowning prevention research.
Fatal and nonfatal drownings are responsible for significant costs to the US health-care system. In 2017, 25% of pediatric nonfatal drowning victims who presented to emergency departments (EDs) required hospitalization or transfer for further management. (2) In 2010, the average lifetime medical and work loss–related costs per hospitalization for drowning were estimated to be $292,300. (2) In 2015, the estimated total...
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