Drowning is one of the most concerning dangers for kids during the summer months. In this post, we look at the myths surrounding the term dry drowning. It is a phrase that has appeared in the news and social media postings within the last few years, but it is not a phrase that most medical professionals use. Let’s look at some definitions.

How To Define Drowning

First of all, terms such as “dry drowning”,“secondary drowning”, and “near-drowning”
are poorly-defined and confusing. Organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the World Congress on drowning prefer that we use the simpler
terms fatal drowning and nonfatal drowning.

• Fatal drowning is when lung injury from water contact causes death within 24 hours
• Nonfatal drowning, sometimes referred to as ‘near-drowning’, is further divided into cases where:
  • Medical complications appear within 8 hours
  • No medical complications appear

All drowning events occur when water enters the airway, impairing the victim’s ability to get oxygen. When water first hits the back of the throat, those throat muscles immediately spasm to protectively close off the airway. In other words, the person reflexively holds their breath so that the water is swallowed rather than inhaled. However, because they’re holding their breath, their oxygen level decreases until they finally pass out. Once unconscious, the throat muscles relax, and water enters the lungs.

When someone has died in the water, but no water is found in the lungs (sometimes mistakenly called ‘dry drowning’), other causes of death should be investigated, such as seizure or heart condition.

Secondary drowning vs Dry Drowning

The alarming stories of supposed dry drowning that we see online usually describe a child who appeared well after swimming but then became ill or even died many hours later. This scenario is also sometimes called secondary drowning.  Either way, this event is extremely rare. Many children have some choking or sputtering when water gets in their mouth, but they are just fine afterward. In the rare instances where that water reaches the lungs, gradual lung inflammation can cause symptoms within about 8 hours. If illness occurs after this time, it is not due to a drowning event. If your child chokes on water while swimming, but seems fine afterward, just keep an eye on them for the next 8 hours.

Symptoms of lung damage from water contact can include:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent cough
• Chest pain
• Excessive sleepiness
• Unusual irritability
• Dizziness
• Vomiting or spitting up foamy liquid
• Blue or gray tint to the skin, lips, or inside of the mouth

If any of these symptoms show up, take your child to the ER. By far, drowning while in the water is way more common. In fact, it is the second leading cause of accidental child death in the U.S. Unlike in the movies, drowning is fast and silent. Be sure to keep your family safe by reviewing swimming safety precautions. Swimming Safety: Natural Bodies of Water , Swimming Safety: Pools

** This post does not constitute medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please direct all medical questions to your child’s physician **

This is a guest post. Meisa Ezekiel, M.D. is a board certified pediatrician who lives in Austin, TX. She is a mother of four young children and a tireless advocate for the underserved in her community.