Vomiting is not associated with poor outcomes in pediatric victims of unintentional submersions

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Utilization in the Pediatric Drowning Population

BACKGROUND

Management of pediatric drowning often includes evaluation and treatment of infectious disease. There are few data describing the infections associated with pediatric drowning.

METHODS

A descriptive retrospective study was designed, and patients aged < 19 years admitted for > 24 hours to our institution after a drowning were included from January 2011 through June 30, 2017. Data collection included patient demographics, submersion injury details, resuscitation details, patient admission details, chest radiograph on admission, use of intubation and mechanical ventilation, hospital length of stay, culture data, antimicrobial use, and mortality. Descriptive statistical methods (mean and standard deviation, median and range, percentage) were used to characterize the patient population, and Fisher exact test was used to evaluate the association between antimicrobial use in the first 72 hours of admission and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 114 patients met study criteria (male, 59.7%; median age, 3.7 years [range, 0.15-17.79 years]). Median hospital length of stay was 2 days (range, 1-60 days). Intensive care unit admission occurred in 80.7%, intubation occurred in 46.5%, and mortality was 18.4%. The most common submersion location was a pool (76.3% [n = 87]) with water primarily characterized as freshwater (82.5% [n = 94]). Reported submersion time for the majority of patients was < 5 minutes (54.4%) with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 78.1%. In the first 72 hours after admission, culture were obtained in 40 patients (35.1%), and 27.5% of these cultures were positive. The primary organisms identified were consistent oropharyngeal flora. Antimicrobials were initiated in 50% of the patient population with clindamycin as most common. There was not a significant association between antimicrobial use in the first 72 hours after admission and mortality (17.2% vs 19.6%, P = .81).

CONCLUSIONS

Infectious disease associated with pediatric drowning in pools is uncommon. Empiric use of antimicrobials does not appear to affect outcomes.

Predictors of safe discharge for pediatric drowning patients in the emergency department

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to determine if stable, well-appearing, drowning patients who have normal age-adjusted vital signs and pulse oximetry upon arrival to the emergency department may be safely discharged without a prolonged observation period.

METHODS

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for drowning patients presenting to a single pediatric emergency department from 1995 to 2014. Data were collected on vital signs and pulse oximetry at presentation, chest x-ray results, disposition and complications for each encounter. Patients were identified as having either normal or abnormal initial vital signs and pulse oximetry, and were compared based on disposition and complication rates.

RESULTS

Two hundred seventy-six records were initially evaluated and 91 were excluded. Thirty-six percent had normal age-adjusted vital signs upon arrival. Patients with abnormal temperature, respiratory rate or pulse oximetry, as well as those with any abnormal initial cardiopulmonary physical exam findings, abnormal mental status, or chest radiograph findings, were more likely to be admitted to the hospital. Eight patients developed respiratory complications after presentation to the emergency department. Those with abnormal pulse oximetry readings on arrival were more likely to develop complications. Only two patients who developed complications had initially normal vital signs and each had evidence of clinical deterioration within 1h of arrival.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall complication rate in initially stable, well-appearing drowning patients is low. An abnormal pulse oximetry reading at presentation may help predict subsequent complications. Those patients with normal age-adjusted vital signs and physical exam at presentation may not require a prolonged observation period.