Everything about accidental drowning and why the person is not able to call for help!

The "accidental drawning" (sic) of Sridevi led to another tremor of disheartenment in the country. What was thought and was also reported as the reason of her sudden demise (cardiac arrest) has now been replaced by unintentional drowning in a bathtub. However trivial and unglorifying the latest reason of her death may sound, drowning is way more common that you would like to believe. Here, we tell you everything you must know about drowning, why is it way more common than you think and why a person who is drowning may not be able to call for help.
Cases of death by drowning in the world

According to Scripps Howard News Service study of federal mortality records from 1999 to 2003, an American drowns in a bathtub almost every day! Though, infants and elderly are at a greater risk of dying by drowning in a bathtub, more than half of the reported cases were of abled bodies within the ages of 5 and 64. Of these, most were high on alcohol or drugs.

As per World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death throughout the world. This makes it responsible for about 7 percent of the total injury-related deaths. As per the organization, 3,60,000 people died of drowning in the year 2015. In Bangladesh, drowning accounts for 43 percent of deaths in children aged 1 to 14 years!

In Japan, the case of bathtub drowning has assumed epic proportions with about 19,000 deaths occurring in a year. The country witnessed a dramatic increase in bathtub deaths by a whopping 70 per cent in the last 10 years. What may partially explain this is their practice of hot water bathing and using deeper bathtubs.

What is accidental drowning?

Accidental or unintentional drowning is basically the impairment of the breathing function as a result of being under water or a liquid. It is often a silent process though there can be other signs of distress in the body. A call for help precedes drowning but can never be a part of the process.

Why someone who is drowning cannot call for help

In the process of drowning, only very little water enters the lungs but the presence of water in the trachea can lead to a muscular spasm that prevents air as well as water to enter till the person gets unconscious. However, even while this happens, the person is unable to call out for help or shout as he cannot obtain enough air. A condition called laryngospasm occurs, which refers to the involuntary closing of the vocal folds to prevent the entry of water, blood, mucus or other such substances. Within 60 seconds, the person's body can go into hypoxia, that is, the lack of oxygen in the body.

Now, typically, what we have learnt from movies is that a drowning person is loud, violent and calling out for help. But this depiction may be altogether wrong. Such a person may be at the risk of drowning because he is unable to swim properly but drowning itself is never loud. A person who is undergoing asphyxiation may not be able to call for help at all. However, there are certain signs and behaviours that can help tell if someone is drowning, such as a motionless or fearful face, head drooping down, hyperventilation or open eyes.

Death by drowning

When a person drowns in a liquid, his body gets into hypoxia. When there is no supply of oxygen to the brain, it will render a person unconscious quickly. If a person is rescued even at this stage, he stands a good chance of survival if medically heeded within minutes. Now, a lack of oxygen or changes in lungs can lead to a cardiac arrest. This sudden stopping of the functioning of heart stops the flow of blood to body. However, even at this point, there is a chance of recovery. But, the continued cut-off of oxygen supply to the brain can lead to brain damage and hence, brain death. If the body reaches this point, recovery is almost impossible. It will take the brain to die after six minutes without oxygen.

Alcohol and drowning

There is data that supports that alcohol can substantially increase the risk of drowning if someone is indulging in recreational aquatic activities. However, the exact increase in risk is not yet numbered. As per a report by NCBI, "Drowning appears to be the overwhelming cause of death associated with recreational aquatic activity with alcohol detected in the blood in 30%–70% of persons who drown while involved in this activity."

Why alcohol increases the risk

Alcohol can adversely impact one's motor skills. It acts as a depressant for the central nervous system. This means signals coming from brain, even that of pain or injury, are decreased and dull their awareness. The higher the concentration of alcohol in the blood, the more severely will one's motor skills get impacted. This causes loss of coordination and increased reaction time. Because of this very reason, alcohol consumption leads to hundreds of thousands of death each year.