INTRODUCTION:

In 2016, an estimated 320 000 people died from drowning, making it a major public health problem worldwide. In 2015, injuries counted for over 9% of total global mortality. It is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death, estimated for 7% of all injury-related deaths². Global partnerships for drowning prevention should be established in order to serve as a policy and implementation leadership community for the issue of drowning prevention³. According to the World Health Organization, 0.7% of all deaths worldwide (i.e., >500,000 deaths) each year are due to unintentional drowning. South Asian countries have higher death rates by drowning compared to the world average. Among drowning survivors, approximately 69% have complete neurological recovery, 28% suffer some selective deficit, and 3% survive in a permanent vegetative state⁴.

Drowning is aforemost public health issue with major impacts on children and youth. Drowning is preventable. Known strategies applied at household, community, and national level range from teaching basic swim skills and installing barriers that control exposure to water hazards, to providing safe spaces for children such as crèches and learning about safe rescue.

Altered to individual settings and risk groups, countries should take steps to improve data on drowning mortality and morbidity, and establish a national water safety plan. Drowning is a leading cause of children⁵. Public awareness regarding the supervision of children and restricting unsupervised access of children to water bodies need to be emphasized.⁶

A number of main preventive messages have been emphasized including constant management of infants by adults in the bathtub and around other bodies of water, pool fencing, particularly with isolation fencing that completely surrounds the pool, separating it from the home; and not swimming alone or in remote, unguarded sites⁷. Furthermore, parents, adolescents, and homeowners with pools on their property are advised to obtain training in basic life support methods as studies have shown that if initiated on time, resuscitation by a bystander, before the arrival of emergency personnel, results in significantly better neurological outcomes. Mobile coach intervention is effective.⁸

Causes:

Common Causes of Drowning:

1. Having weak or nonexistent swimming skills.

2. Lacking a separation barrier.

3. Swimming in unsupervised areas.

4. Failing to wear a personal flotation device (life jacket)

5. Not recognizing what a drowning victim looks like.

The most common causes of near-drowning include:

· An inability to swim.

· Panic in the water.

· Leaving children unattended near bodies of water.

· Leaving babies unguarded, even for a short amount of time, in bathtubs.

· Falling through thin ice.

· Liquor consumption while swimming or on a boat.

Prevention:

Prevention remains the best treatment. Teaching water safety lessons and proper pool fencing are the interventions with the highest level of current evidence, especially in children two to four years of age.The mobile coach intervention is effective, it would provide an attractive, cost-effective model to increase the knowledge and awareness about childhood drowning and reduce childhood⁹

To reduce the risk of drowning in any swimming environment:¹⁰

1. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Childcareproviders andparents should know about cardiopulmonary resuscitation.¹¹

2. Supervise. Never leave children unguarded near a hot tub,pool or natural body of water.

3. Teach children to swim.

4. Avoid alcohol.

Drowning prevention tips ²

· A swimming pool should always be completely separate from the home and play area of the yard.

· Pool covers and alarms should never be used as a substitute for a fence.

· When guarding your children around water, use “touch supervision,” that means always remain in arm’s reach of the child.

· Never leave your child alone or in the care of another child in or around water.

· Know how to swim.

· Learn CPR and first aid.

· Rescue equipment, such as a life preserver is a necessity.

· When swimming in the ocean wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets.

· Phone presence on the pool, lake or beach in case of emergency is much needed.

· When your child is ready to learn provide swimming lessons.

Top 10 Water Safety Tips for Families.

1. Water safety encompasses a person's behavior in and around the water. ...

2. Never Swim Alone. ...

3. Supervise Children When They're in the Water. ...

4. Don't Play Breath-Holding Games. ...

5. Always Wear a Life Vest. ...

6. Don't Jump in the Water to Save a Friend. ...

7. Enter the Water Feet First. ...

8. Stay Away From Pool Drains.

CONCLUSION:

Drowning is a symbolic cause of injury-related deaths, especially in LMICs. Young males who are unattended in rural areas and have limited formal swimming lessons are at the most risk of drowning in small bodies of water around their houses. Safeguard strategies include covering wells and cisterns, fencing off ditches and small ponds, establishing community daycares, providing formal swimming lessons, and increasing awareness of the risks of drowning.Drowning prevention must be made a priority and we should focus on the “Es”Education, Engenearing and Enforcement. There should be a rules and regulations to be formed.¹²

REFERENCES:

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Received on 28.07.2021 Modified on 10.04.2022

Int. J. of Advances in Nur. Management. 2023; 11(1):81-82.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2023.00018

Drowning prevention tips 2

CONCLUSION:

Drowning prevention tips ²