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Morbidity and Mortality of Drowning Children in Jerusalem District - Retrospective Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2025

Maor Chavkin ,
Lea Ohana Sarna Cahan Open the ORCID record for Lea Ohana Sarna Cahan [Opens in a new window] ,
Itai Shavit ,
Rebecca Brooks ,
Michal Sadeh ,
Saar Hashavya ,
Itai Gross  and
David Rekhtman
Maor Chavkin*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Lea Ohana Sarna Cahan
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Itai Shavit
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Rebecca Brooks
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Michal Sadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Saar Hashavya
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Itai Gross
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
David Rekhtman
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
*
Correspondence: Maor Chavkin Department of Pediatrics Hadassah Medical Center Ein Kerem, Kiryat Hadassah POB 12000, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel E-mail: maorc@hadassah.org.il
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Abstract

Background:

Drowning persists as a preventable pediatric cause of severe morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate the risk factors, circumstances, and medical consequences associated with pediatric drowning incidents in order to identify patterns that can inform targeted interventions.

Methods:

This was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of pediatric drowning cases. The study encompassed children aged 0-18 years who presented to the pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) of Hadassah Medical Centers in Jerusalem from January 1, 2004 through April 30, 2023. Inclusion criteria were individuals with main registration diagnosis containing the terms “drowning” or “submersion.”

Results:

Analysis revealed 129 cases of pediatric drowning, males comprising 66% of the cohort. The average age was 4.9 years (SD = 4.5). Predominantly, drownings occurred in private (38%) or public pools (27.1%). Forty-eight percent of children required hospitalization in intensive care. Notably, children from the Arab minority were significantly younger at the time of drowning (3.8 years; P = .04) and were at elevated risk of severe neurologic outcomes necessitating rehabilitation (P = .03). Incidents occurring on weekends were associated with younger victim ages (3.5 years; P = .04) and with increased likelihood of outcomes necessitating rehabilitation (P = .04). Conversely, children from families with four or more siblings were notably older at the time of drowning (5.3 years; P = .01). No other statistically significant differences were observed among demographic groups.

Conclusions:

Strategies aimed at promoting child health and preventing drowning must surmount feasibility barriers. Intervention efforts should be tailored to populations at heightened risk, including younger children, minority groups, and incidents occurring during weekends.

Keywords

drowningincident characteristicspediatric emergency departmentrehabilitationrisk factorssubmersion

Information

Type
Innovation Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 6 , December 2024 , pp. 436 - 441
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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Footnotes

Note: Authors Chavkin and Ohana Sarna Cahan contributed equally. Authors Gross and Rekhtman had similar contributions.

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