Stories About "Dry Drowning" Are Scary, But Doctors Say It Isn't a Real Thing
People have used the terms "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning" to describe when someone, typically a child, drowns in the hours or days after swimming, but doctors say these terms are inaccurate.
There are no medically accepted conditions known as "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning." They are misnomers.
Drowning events are most likely to occur while a child is in the water, so it's important for parents to learn the signs of drowning so they can keep their kids safe this summer.
The arrival of summer means fun in the sun and lots of pool time - but it also means an influx of news reports about kids drowning. Indeed, each day in the U.S., 10 people unintentionally drown, two of whom are children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the second-most common cause of death for kids 1 to 4, only behind congenital defects.
Over the last few years, you may have heard reports of "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning" to describe situations where someone inhales water and has a delayed reaction that leads to breathing difficulties and even death. But according to doctors, "dry drowning" and "secondary drowning" are misnomers - a.k.a. they're not a real thing.
"There are no medically accepted conditions known as near-drowning, dry drowning, and secondary drowning," states a report in the journal Emergency Medicine News. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't use these terms, and neither do most doctors.
The truth about "dry drowning."
"It's a total myth," says Linda Quan, M.D., a drowning expert and emergency medicine doctor at Seattle Children's hospital. "Drowning is a process where you don't get oxygen," she says. "Once it starts, the body reacts pretty quickly since every cell needs oxygen." The speed of the process means it's not possible for drowning to take place hours or days after leaving the water, Dr. Quan notes. (She says to think about what happens when you're drinking water and it goes down the "wrong pipe" - you notice it right away.)
In response to media reports of "dry drowning," she says that the incidents must have been the result of something else. "To have a drowning, you have to have been underwater and not been able to breathe; and then, if you're removed from the water, you still have trouble breathing," she explains. "In many of these cases, the kids are reported to be fine after. That means that there wasn't truly a drowning incident."
Of course, it's always best to play it safe if your child shows signs of respiratory distress.
If at any point your child exhibits signs that make you worry about their safety, you should definitely take them to the doctor. "Watch out for breathing distress, persistent coughing, or increased respiration," says Rob Darzynkiewicz , M.D., the Chief Medical Officer at Hazel Health.
Other symptoms that might require medical attention include: vomit or pinkish foam from the mouth or nose, fatigue to the point of lethargy (including oddly timed naps or early bedtime), blue lips or tongue, chest pain, fever, and any unusual change in mood or behavior. If you notice any of these, administer CPR if necessary, and call your pediatrician or head to the emergency room.
According to the Emergency Medicine News report, these symptoms could signal a number of conditions including: collapsed lungs, chemical pneumonitis (inflamed lungs), bacterial or viral pneumonia, head injuries, asthma, heart attacks, and chest traumas. All of these conditions require medical attention and have been confused with "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning."
Doctors say water safety should be your primary concern.
Medical experts fear that attention to the issue of "dry drowning" may distract parents from what really matters: supervising their kids while they're swimming. "The real time a parent needs to keep a close eye on their children is when they're in the water," Dr. Quan says. There's a much greater possibility that an incident will occur while your child is in the water versus days later.
She cautions parents to watch their kids while they're swimming, and know the symptoms of real drowning. "Drowning is silent," she says. "You don't see arms flailing, and you never hear a sound. That's because, when you're drowning, you're so busy trying to breathe that you don't have a chance to scream." Instead, keep an eye out for family members who go underwater and take too much time to return to the surface.
It's also important to keep in mind that many drowning accidents occur when parents don't anticipate their kids will be swimming - for example, a toddler accidentally falling into a a jacuzzi, bath, toil, or bucket of water.
To keep your family safe, stay up-to-date on the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines for drowning prevention, which were updated in March of 2019. The AAP recommends starting swimming lessons at 1 year old, swimming within arms' length of children, creating barriers like fencing around pools and spas (and locks on toilets), and supervising kids at all times around all sorts of water. It's also a good idea to learn CPR, which could save your child's life; the Red Cross offers convenient classes.
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