Drowning (cont.)

The Grief and Mourning Quiz

Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Drowning Symptoms

Drowning is a silent killer. People who are drowning may not be able to call for help because they are expending all their energy to breathe or to keep their head above water. Furthermore, as water is introduced into the respiratory tract, the airway may go into a spasm, making it difficult to cry for help.

Be alert for signs that someone may be in trouble.

A person in the water flailing his or her arms
Displaying uneven swimming motions
Lying face down in the water
Only the head showing above water with mouth open

The drowning sequence

First, the person panics or struggles followed by submersion with breath-holding.
Loss of consciousness can begin within three minutes of being under water.
The brain may suffer damage if it is deprived of oxygen for more than six minutes.
The heart may go into an irregular rhythm that doesn't allow the heart to pump blood, if it too is deprived of oxygen for more than a few minutes.

Signs of drowning