With summer upon us, kids will be heading to the pools. But just because your children exit the water safely, doesn't mean that the threat of drowning has passed.
The condition is known as "dry drowning," and can occur following the ingestion and inhalation of just a few gasps of water. Also referred to as secondary drowning, it can produce symptoms within 24 to 48 hours following a pool incident.
Symptoms include coughing, vomiting, fever, and difficulty breathing and if left untreated, can lead to respiratory problems, brain injury, and death.
"You might not witness your child inhale any pool water, but it's important to watch out for signs soon after an event that could cause dry drowning," said Dr. Purva Grover, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Children's pediatric emergency department in an interview with USA TODAY Network.
Problems arise when a child inhales water. The water can makes its way down to the lungs, causing spasms and irritation of lung tissue. Fluid can accumulate, making breathing extremely difficult.
"It's very unusual for the child to have absolutely no symptoms, but they may go to bed and in the middle of the night have trouble breathing," says Purva. "It takes a couple of hours for the fluid to emerge in the lungs."
Should your child develop symptoms following a pool event, doctors recommend rapid transport to an emergency room for treatment.
But safety must begin at the pool. It only takes seconds for a child to slip beneath the surface. And although many believe they would notice if their child were to have trouble in the water, many drownings occur when a child submerges unnoticed.
According to the CDC, about one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 or younger. And for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
Which makes the threat of dry drowning all too real.
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