Citation

Bloise S, Martucci V, Marcellino A, Sanseviero M, Lubrano R. Pediatr. Int. 2022; 64(1): e15095.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Japan Pediatric Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/ped.15095

PMID

35385158

Abstract

Drowning, defined as the process of respiratory difficulty caused by submersion/immersion in liquid, is a leading cause of accidental death among infants and toddlers.1 The most frequent manifestations observed in drowning victims are pulmonary complications. These include: non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia. In particular, it is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for pulmonary infections caused by water-borne pathogens, such as Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Proteus that may cause complicated pneumonia. In order to diagnose all these conditions a chest x-ray is recommended at baseline. However, this can be negative or underestimate the severity of lung injury and therefore a radiological follow up is necessary.

In the case of children, this implies that the child is exposed to a high dose of ionizing radiation. This aspect should not be underestimated, in fact children are considered to have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from radiation compared with their adult counterparts, both because of organ sensitivity and longer life expectancy.

Therefore, to reduce the dose of ionizing radiation and speed up diagnostic times, the thoracic ultrasound could represent a reliable diagnostic tool for management and follow up in drowning victims in pediatric emergency department and in the ward...

Language: en

Keywords

children; drowning; emergency; lung ultrasound