Resuscitation of drowning victims in south-east Scotland.
BACKGROUND
Immersion in cold water is compatible with long-term survival, even when the period of immersion is relatively long. Guidelines for resuscitation after immersion stress the importance of prolonged resuscitation using advanced life support techniques.


METHODS
Deaths due to drowning in south-east Scotland between 1991 and 1997 were reviewed, using a variety of data sources.


RESULTS
95 deaths (69 males, 26 females) from drowning occurred in the following sites: sea, 35; bath, 15; flowing freshwater, 26; still freshwater, 19; 22 (23%) of the drowning incidents were witnessed, 73 (77%) were unwitnessed. 28 individuals were recovered within 1 h of being seen alive, 13 having had witnessed accidents, 15 having had unwitnessed accidents. Six individuals were not resuscitated at the scene by the emergency services, despite being last seen alive within the previous hour. A further five individuals were initially resuscitated, but declared dead at the scene within 1 h of being known to be alive.


CONCLUSIONS
Members of the emergency services, are failing to both initiate prehospital resuscitation and to continue this to hospital for victims of near drowning. There appears to be potential to reduce the drowning death rate by improving resuscitation. The emergency services and the public should be educated about the need to resuscitate those found in water.
Wyatt
J P
JP
Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK. j.wyatt@ed.ac.uk
Tomlinson
G S
GS
Busuttil
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004332:Drowning / Q000401:mortality*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015701:Near Drowning / Q000628:therapy*; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate