Emergency department treatment of the drowning victim

Grant ID: EMLE-162R34-2020-ROBERTS

Project Summary

Drowning has a major global impact, with approximately 300,000 deaths each year. Yet the treatment of drowning victims has received limited investigation. This lack of evidence means that guidelines for the treatment of drowning victims are largely based on case reports or on other conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), on the premise that there may be similarities between the two conditions.

We are proposing to create a comprehensive database of information on drowning patients presenting to the emergency departments at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service. We will utilise a standardised list of data (Utstein-style guidelines for Drowning) to explore the treatment and outcomes for drowning patients over an eight-year period 2015-2022 inclusive. This will allow us to answer questions on the best ways to assist the breathing of drowning patients, if the treatment and outcomes in female drowning differ from males and why (there is some evidence females have better survival outcomes after being admitted to hospital), and to determine if the classification of drowning severity in common use around the world is useful in an Australian population.


Dissemination

Publications:

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Devine, S. and Franklin, R.C., 2025. Criteria for early discharge of drowning patients from the emergency department. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 37(1), p.e70012.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Devine, S., Leggat, P.A. and Franklin, R.C., 2024. Impact of lifeguard oxygen therapy on the resuscitation of drowning victims: Results from an Utstein Style for Drowning Study. Emergency Medicine Australasia. https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.14454

- Roberts, K., Thom, O., Devine, S., Leggat, P.A. and Franklin, R.C., 2024. A focus on sex differences in drowning deaths in Australia: the need for reporting on sex and gender in drowning research. Journal of Public Health, 32(9), pp.1797-1814.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Devine, S., Leggat, P. A., Franklin, R. C., 2023. Feasibility study of the Utstein Style For Drowning to aid data collection on the resuscitation of drowning victims. Resuscitation Plus, 16, 100464.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Leggat, P. A., Devine, S., Peden, A. E., Franklin, R. C., 2023. Addressing gaps in our understanding of the drowning patient: a protocol for the retrospective development of an Utstein style database and multicentre collaboration. BMJ open, 13(2), e068380.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Leggat, P. A., Devine, S., Peden, A. E., Franklin, R. C., 2022. Cervical spine immobilisation is only required in drowning patients at high risk of axial loading of the spine. Emergency Medicine Australasia. doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.14036

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Leggat, P.A., Devine, S., Peden, A.E., Franklin, R.C., 2022. Cervical spine injuries occurring at the beach: epidemiology, mechanism of injury and risk factors. BMC Public Health, 22(1), pp.1-8.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Devine, S. et al. Treatment of the lung injury of drowning: a systematic review. Crit Care 25, 253 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03687-2

- Roberts, K., Thom, O., Devine, S. et al. A scoping review of female drowning: an underexplored issue in five high-income countries. BMC Public Health 21, 1072 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10920-8

Conference presentation:

- Roberts, K., Thom, O., Devine, S., Leggat, P., Franklin, R., A focus on sex differences in drowning deaths in Australia: the need for reporting on sex and gender in drowning research. World Conference on Drowning Prevention, Perth, WA, Australia, 4-7 December 2023.

- Johnson, M., Roberts, K., Thom, O., Piper,K., Lawson, K., Franklin, R., Development of a multicentre collaborative Utstein-style drowning database. World Conference on Drowning Prevention, Perth, WA, Australia, 4-7 December 2023.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Brander, R., Koon, Will, Devine, S., Leggat, P., Making beach safety more relevant – a call to add human and dynamic beach factors to the beach hazard rating. World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP), Perth, Australia, 4-7 December 2023.

- Thom, O., Roberts, K., Devine, S., Leggat, P., Franklin, R., Does on scene oxygen therapy prior to the arrival of Emergency Medical Services improve outcomes from resuscitation of drowning? A case match analysis of 216 patients. World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP), Perth, Australia, 4-7 December 2023.

- Thom, O., Non-fatal drowning and other aquatic injuries. National Water Safety Summit, Sydney, August 2022.


SHARE

Amount Awarded
$91,468


Program


Grant Scheme


Status
Complete


Principal Investigator:
Ms Kym Roberts


Co Investigators:
Dr Ogilivie Thom
A/Prof Richard Franklin
A/Prof Sue Devine
Prof Peter Leggat AM ADC


Institution


Collaborating Institutions


CONTACT US +61 7 3112 8668 info@emfoundation.org.au Suite 1A 34 Sherwood Road Toowong, Qld 4066