Citation

Heming N, Serve E, Weiss N, Imbert A, Ducharne G, Diehl JL, Guérot E, Fagon JY, Tadié JM. Prehosp. Emerg. Care 2012; 16(3): 356-360.

Affiliation

Service de Réanimation Médicale (NH, NW, J-LD, EG, J-YF, J-MT) , the Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation (ES) , and the Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique (GD) , Université Paris Descartes, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris , France .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, National Association of EMS Physicians, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.3109/10903127.2012.670691

PMID

22494150

Abstract

Introduction. Drowning following a fall from a bridge can lead to cardiac arrest caused by hypoxia, hypothermia, or severe traumatic injury. Every year patients are brought to our hospital who have nearly drowned in the local river after a jump from a bridge (approximate height 16-22 meters). We report traumatic injuries in patients admitted to our hospital for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to drowning. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients admitted to the intensive care units of our hospital for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to drowning after a jump from a bridge in the Seine River between 2002 and 2010. All clinical or radiologic evidence of trauma was recorded. Results. A total of 37 patients where admitted to our hospital for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to drowning. Fourteen patients had radiologic examinations. Five of these examinations showed evidence of severe trauma. In one case, clinical examination showed evidence of severe peripheral neurologic trauma. Seven of these patients (19%) were discharged from the hospital alive. Conclusions. Patients found nearly drowned in a river spanned by a medium-height bridge should undergo spinal immobilization and complete radiologic examination as soon as possible.

Language: en