SUMMER DANGERS
Right at the break of summer I read a horrific story about a child succumbing to“ dry drowning”. As I read the story I was dumbfounded, because I had never heard of such a thing. After spending the day in the water the child walked home with his mother, was given a bath and put to bed. His Mother went to check on him approximately two hours later and the child was found unresponsive with a thick white foam around his mouth. This summer we want both child and parent to enjoy all that summer has to offer so we want you to be well informed about“ Dry Drowning.”
# 1 Dry drowning needs only a small amount of water or liquid, so it doesn’ t necessarily have to be from a pool.
# 2 Difficulty breathing, painful breathing or shallow breathing are all red flags that may indicate a person is at risk for a dry drowning episode. Count the number of respirations for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Over 20 respirations per minute could be a red flag for dry drowning.
# 3 Check for persistent cough, pain in chest and mood or mental status change. Lethargy or increased agitation when lying flat, sweaty skin or color changes such as pale, or blue / grayish color are signs of poorly oxygenated blood. Remember, children can not compensate for very long like adults. They tend to“ crash” quickly once these signs are present, so act quickly.
# 4 Dry drowning usually occurs within 1 hour and 24 hours after incident. If it is caught early, dry drowning can be treated. Treatment involves supplying oxygen to the lungs.
Call 911 or take the child or person immediately to the emergency room if there are signs or symptoms indicating risk of a dry drowning episode.