Sadly, a ten year old boy recently drowned hours after leaving a swimming pool. Though uncommon, secondary drowning can still cause asphyxiation. Typically when we think of drowning we are referring to primary drowning in which water enters the lungs and causes rapid suffocation. However, in secondary drowning, fluid can enter the lungs and cause a chain of events to occur that leads to irritation and breakdown of lung tissue, pulmonary edema, and possibly death. Even though he was wearing floatation devices and monitored by adults, Johnny Jackson inhaled enough water which led to his untimely passing hours after he left the swimming pool. Since drowning is one of the top causes of unintentional death in children, it’s important to know that anyone who has been submerged and has inhaled water should be brought to medical attention. Full story.
June 6, 2008
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.