Death by Drowning

Dry drowning is not commonly known medical term. A young man drowned hours after he had left the swimming pool. If you are a parent you always worry when you send your child to the swimming pool even if they are an excellent swimmer, now we have to worry about dry drowning too. What is Dry Drowning? Dry drowning can occur when the trachea or the vocal cords become aware of water or some type of liquid substance trying to enter the lungs, this causes the laryngeal cords to contract, or spasm causing the larynx to close over the windpipe, when it closes oxygen is unable to enter the lungs.

The death of 10 year old Johnny Jackson on June 1^st 2008 has been publicized and is getting the attention of the public. Before this death little was known about this type of drowning. I know it strikes a chord of fear in most parents, another thing to obsess over concerning our children, but according to the Center for Disease Control the most recent statistical data was compiled in 2005, estimating some three thousand people drowned due to Dry Drowning.

Dry drowning can also happen in the bath tub in most cases with small children. In the case of the ten year old he died hours after he came home from swimming, he experienced a delayed reaction. Some of the symptoms were sleepiness and nausea, he had a small amount of water in his lungs, and as he slept was unable to breathe properly, his mother later found him with a white foamy substance around his mouth. The lack of oxygen to his brain unfortunately led to his fatality.

Although this is not a common occurrence it is at least something to read up on, just to be aware of some of the symptoms:

1. Persistent cough
2. mental agitation or change in mood
3. Sluggishness
4. Pain in chest

Please be aware of these symptoms they are signs of decreased flow of oxygen to the brain. Finally the risk is very low for this type of accident occurring, please follow water safety rules. This incident has provided important medical information to the pubic, be safe and have a great summer!