Citation

Abelairas-Gómez C, Tipton MJ, González-Salvado V, Bierens JJLM. Emergencias 2019; 31(4): 270-280.

Vernacular Title

El ahogamiento: epidemiología, prevención, fisiopatología, reanimación de la víctima ahogada y tratamiento hospitalario

Affiliation

Research Group Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Bruselas, Bélgica.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SEMES - Sociedad Española de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

31347808

Abstract

This narrative review discusses the evidence relevant to key aspects of drowning, which is defined by the World Health Organization as the process of respiratory difficulty caused by submersion/immersion in liquid. The length of time the victim is submerged is a key factor in survival and neurologic damage. Although respiratory distress and hypoxia are the main events, other complications affecting various systems and organs may develop. Drowning is one of the main causes of accidental death worldwide, yet deaths from drowning are underestimated and morbidity is unknown. Prevention is essential for reducing both mortality and morbidity, but if prevention fails, the speed of access to and the quality of prehospital and hospital care will determine the prognosis. It is therefore essential to understand the factors and mechanisms involved in these emergencies.

Language: en

Keywords

Cardiac arrest; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Case management; Factores de riesgo; Manejo de atención al paciente; Mortalidad; Mortality; Parada cardiaca; Prognosis; Pronóstico; Reanimación cardiopulmonar; Respiratory distress syndrome, adult; Risk factors; Supervivencia; Survival; Síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del adulto