title: Drowning in children: Aseer Central Hospital experience, Southwestern Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the reasons, magnitude and outcome of drowning following submersion in water of children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study of all pediatric patients (0-13) years old who drowned and were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Aseer Central Hospital, Southwestern Saudi Arabia, between January 1st 1999 and December 31st 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 19 cases were admitted following submersion in water. The mean age was 5.2 years ±3.8. Majority of victims (94.1%) were from the highland areas. Events most frequently occurred in the summer (46.7%), followed by spring and winter, 33.3% and 20%, respectively. Home events constituted 44.4% of submersion cases. Of these, 55.6% drowned in a washing container, While 53.4% submersed in swimming pools. Twenty-two percent of these accidents occurred in the sea and in wells while 11.1% occurred in a lake. The mean duration of submersion was 4.04 minutes ± 5.35. Cardiac arrest was reported upon arrival at hospital in 42.1% of the victims. There were seven deaths (36.8 %) and in one patient (5.2 %) there was severe brain injury. In all deceased cases, no adults were watching the children when the accidents occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drowning is a significant risk factor facing our children and can claim lives. The media as well as the authority should play a major role in increasing the public awareness to minimize or prevent such a problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Suliman H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Al-Fifi
authors.forename: Medhat A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shabana
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zayed
authors.forename: Ali M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Binali
authors.forename: Mohammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Shehri