Boy dies from swallowing pool water

[pixies]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,362815,00.html


Boy, 10, Dies From 'Secondary Drowning' Hours After Swallowing Swimming Pool Water.


How sad.

 

[Taximom]

I have never heard of this. I thought if you had water in your lungs you would be coughing and having a real hard time breathing. This poor boy.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I've never heard of this either. How scary!

So the boy passed away in his sleep?

 

[vibec]

I never heard of it either and did a little googling. 5% of drownings are "secondary drownings" that can occur up to 72 hours later. Hopefully, this poor boy's death can make people more aware to look for symptoms. I cant imagine the pain his family is feeling.

 

[deanws]

I have never heard of this. I thought if you had water in your lungs you would be coughing and having a real hard time breathing. This poor boy.

I haven't ever heard of this either! Strange. Poor kid...poor family.

 

[Taximom]

Well, I will sure be watching for this when the kids go swimming. I thought maybe he got too much chlorine in his system or some other pool chemical. This is just so sad.

 

[j2mirish]

there has to be more to this- not that I dont believe it- but it cant be just "swallowing" pool water
wouldnt there have to be alot of struggle involved, to ingest enough water to fill their lungs,then the person, makes it out of the water? kwim?

 

[noZme]

add me to the list of those for whom this is a first

do i understand correctly, if had not been reclined or asleep there may have been a chance to "cough it up" ?

this is so tragic, prayers for his family

 

[nappy2]

there has to be more to this- not that I dont believe it- but it cant be just "swallowing" pool water
wouldnt there have to be alot of struggle involved, to ingest enough water to fill their lungs,then the person, makes it out of the water? kwim?

I have to agree there is more to this than just swallowing some pool water!!!

 

[southcitymom]

there has to be more to this- not that I dont believe it- but it cant be just "swallowing" pool water
wouldnt there have to be alot of struggle involved, to ingest enough water to fill their lungs,then the person, makes it out of the water? kwim?

Goose Creek - where this child drowned - is right up the road from where I grew up. I have heard of this phenomenon before. I don't think there is anything more to it. It is rare. Very very sad.

 

[Hope4Lost]

They shouldn't have used the word "swallowed." Secondary drowning results from something being inhaled into the lungs and causing irritation to the point where the lungs fill with fluid.

 

[shana]

They shouldn't have used the word "swallowed." Secondary drowning results from something being inhaled into the lungs and causing irritation to the point where the lungs fill with fluid.

Yes, sounds like a 'delayed' aspiration pneumonia and the word 'swallowed' certainly does not apply.

When one of my dogs aspirated on vomit under anesthesia, she had to be watched all night in an emergency hospital and into the next morning, until her lungs were clear.

 

[jubie]

This is just so sad. As parents most of us do everything and anything to keep them safe and sending them off to sleep is such a great feeling knowing they're safe and tucked in for the night or even just zeeing off for a nap is so peaceful and calming.


J.

 

[j2mirish]

Goose Creek - where this child drowned - is right up the road from where I grew up. I have heard of this phenomenon before. I don't think there is anything more to it. It is rare. Very very sad.

I dont mean suspicious--- just more than "swallowing" water

 

[Taximom]

Ah, it makes sense now. He aspirated some pool water, but not enough to make him choke to death at the pool. His lungs filled with more fluid as they went into protect mode, which is basically what killed him. That's what I'm thinking anyway. Poor little guy.

I know my kids come home exhausted after swimming and I probably would have sent them for a nap too if they didn't feel well. Yikes.

 

[SadlyMistaken]

How tragic and sad for his family.

My prayers are with them.

 

[philamena]

This is just so sad. As parents most of us do everything and anything to keep them safe and sending them off to sleep is such a great feeling knowing they're safe and tucked in for the night or even just zeeing off for a nap is so peaceful and calming.


J.

That's exactly what I wanted to say.
I've never heard of this type of drowning.
How sad.

 

[LinasK]

They shouldn't have used the word "swallowed." Secondary drowning results from something being inhaled into the lungs and causing irritation to the point where the lungs fill with fluid.

Yes, sounds like a 'delayed' aspiration pneumonia and the word 'swallowed' certainly does not apply.

When one of my dogs aspirated on vomit under anesthesia, she had to be watched all night in an emergency hospital and into the next morning, until her lungs were clear.

Okay, together these two posts explain what happened. I was thinking, just how much water did he swallow??? Correct, aspiration pneumonia is NOT swallowing, nor is it choking, it's ingesting fluid or solid into the airway and he obviously did not cough it back out! I wonder what happened to his cough reflex. The fluid fill-up of the lungs is the pneumonia component. Most people recover from aspiration pneumonia with antibiotics.

 

[Hope4Lost]

Okay, together these two posts explain what happened. I was thinking, just how much water did he swallow??? Correct, aspiration pneumonia is NOT swallowing, nor is it choking, it's ingesting fluid or solid into the airway and he obviously did not cough it back out! I wonder what happened to his cough reflex. The fluid fill-up of the lungs is the pneumonia component. Most people recover from aspiration pneumonia with antibiotics.

Considering the chemicals in pool water...it probably wouldn't take a lot of water to cause that type of reaction. It can happen from inhaling noxious fumes as well.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Someone on the news this morning called it "dry drowning." I don't know if that was the correct terminology, but I looked it up:

Dry drowning can occur clinically, or due to illness or accident, or be deliberately (and repeatedly) induced in torture (waterboarding). It can be traumatizing, and it can be deadly.

More at the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_drowning