AN EVALUATION OF CASES OF DROWNING PRESENTING TO THE KARADENIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY MEDICAL FACULTY ADULT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1(3) - Volume 2, Issue 1(3), 335 - 340, 01.06.2017

Özgür Tatlı Yasin Erol İrem Dilaver Murat Topbaş

Abstract

 Aim

To perform a descriptive study of presentations of drowning to the
emergency department using demographic and clinical parameters.

Method

In this retrospective study, demographic and clinical data for cases
presenting to the Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty Adult Emergency
Department due to drowning in 2007-2017 were recorded from patients’ records.
Conclusions and statistical data are presented.

Results 

Drowning was most common among males (74.5%), at age 30 or less (59.6%),
in summer (76.6%) and in salt waters (85.1%). Eleven patients from the 47 cases
died. In terms of mortality, no difference was determined between drowning in
salt or fresh water, male and female gender, ability or inability to swim, age
below or over 30 or between the seasons (p > 0.05). 

 

 

Conclusion:

The findings from this study show that drowning is most common among
males, at age 30 or below, in the summer months and in salt water. The main
reasons for the higher level of drownings in salt water may be that people in
Trabzon prefer to swim in the sea, the lack of large expanses of agricultural
land, water channels and ponds not generally being used for irrigation,
swimming pools lacking popularity and not being widely available, and that due
to its rather unusual natural character the Black Sea is relatively less well
suited to swimming than other seas.

 Key
words: Emergency, drowning, demographics, salt water, fresh water, Black
Sea 

Keywords

AN EVALUATION OF CASES OF DROWNING PRESENTING TO THE KARADENIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY MEDICAL FACULTY ADULT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

References

• Yrd. Doç. Dr. Özgür TATLI*, Arş. Gör. Dr. Yasin EROL*, Arş. Gör. Dr. İrem DİLAVER**, Prof. Dr. Murat TOPBAŞ**
• *Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty Emergency Department ** Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty Public Health Department