Drowning, the Burden of Fatality: A Case Report

Introduction: Drowning is a leading cause of death worldwide. The burden of fatality still remains on the health provider and caregiver despite improved survival rates after rescue. There are few case reports that exist with regards to drowning within Rivers State, Nigeria

Aim: This case report’s aim is to review the management of a drowning patient after initial rescue and the burden of dealing with unpleasant outcomes.

Presentation of Case: We report the case of a teenager who was submerged for about 35 minutes in a fresh water river who received chest compressions by a bystander rescuer; he was later referred to a private secondary healthcare facility and later to a tertiary facility with intensive care unit after initial improvement in a previous tertiary care hospital.

Discussion: This case reports the events surrounding a teenager who suffered from drowning and unfortunately had the final outcome of death after a fortnight period. The long term survival has been noted to be poor in those with submersion time more than 30 minutes just as it was in this index case. The patient in this case had no chronic medical condition which may have reduced the risk of immediate fatal death. The patient was referred to another tertiary center where there was a functional intensive care unit at that time however he passed way after a couple of days.

Conclusion: Drowning regardless of initial survival is still burdened with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Immediate referral to a facility with an intensive care unit is likely to improve prolonged survival.