Association of water temperature and submersion duration and drowning outcome
Authors: Quan L, Mack CD, Schiff MA
Journal: Resuscitation, March 2014
- Study Design
- Database of drowning victims from 3 counties in Washington state, 1975-11996
- Case Control study
- Case: victims with good outcome (survived with no, mild, or moderate neuro sequelae)
- Control: victims with bad outcome (died or with severe neuro sequelae)
- Location correlated with water temperature
- Pond, bath-tubs, pools excluded
- Used best estimated submersion times
- Goal: evaluate effects of submersion duration and water temperature on outcome
- Results
- 1377 victims identified
- Correlations with good outcomes
- younger (< 15)
- female
- submersion time < 6 min in water > 16 C
- Majority of good outcomes submerged < 6 min
- No significant correlation between water temp and survival
- CPR
- Bystander: 50% good outcomes vs 21% bad outcomes
- EMS: 10% good outcomes vs 27% bas outcomes
- Take Home Points
- Duration of submersion was the only factor that correlated well with outcome, a findings we have seen time and time again in various studies. Drowning is a hypoxic injury, and time is brain.
Quan L, Mack CD, Schiff MA. Association of water temperature and submersionduration and drowning outcome. Resuscitation. 2014 Mar 4. pii:S0300-9572(14)00114-2.