Summer is the season for outdoor fun. Some of the most popular activities, such as swimming and boating can also be among the deadliest. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of injury or death in the United States. Believe it or not, about ten people die from drowning every day .
From 05-09, there were an average of 3533 fatal drownings each year in the United States. In addition, 347 people died each year from drowning in incidents related to navigation. About one in five who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, five receive care at the hospital for nonfatal submersion injuries.
Over 50 percent of drowning victims treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer to other care. Nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that can cause long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functions.
Who is most at risk?
- males. Nearly 80 percent of drowning deaths are men.
- children. children ages 1 to 4 have the highest rates of drowning. In 09, 30 percent of deaths in this age group were from drowning; it was the second cause of death after the birth defects. Most of these drownings occur in pools of home. Among children 1 to 14 years, the fatal drowning remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury related deaths behind motor vehicles.
- minorities. Between 05-09, the rate of fatal drownings for African-Americans was significantly higher than that of Caucasians across all ages. The fatal drowning rate of African-American children 5-14 years is almost three times higher than Caucasian children in the same age group. Factors such as access to swimming pools, lack of desire to learn to swim, and choosing recreational activities related to water can contribute to the difference in drowning rates between races.
What factors influence the risk of drowning
- lack of swimming ability. research has shown that participation in swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning.
- pool barriers Lack? . barriers such as pool fencing prevent young children from accessing the pool without the help of awareness. An isolation fence with four sides (separating the pool from the house and yard) reduces the risk of drowning 83 percent compared to the three sides of a child's property line fence.
- close monitoring Lack. drowning can happen quickly wherever water is present (lakes, rivers, pools), even in the presence of lifeguards.
- Location. most ages drownings of children 1-4 occur in home swimming pools. The percentage of drownings in natural water areas (lakes, rivers, oceans) increases with age. More than half of fatal and nonfatal drownings of 15 and over occurred in natural water environments.
- Do not use life jackets. In 2010, the Coast Guard of the United States said that most boat deaths (72 percent) occurred because the victims were not wearing natural environment lifejackets water.
- alcohol consumption. in adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70 percent of the deaths associated with water recreation. Alcohol influences balance, coordination, and judgment, and the effects are aggravated by exposure to sun and heat.
How can you stay safe in the water?
- Provide supervision in and around water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children. Supervisors should provide "touch supervision" where they are close enough to reach the child at all times.
- Use the buddy system. always swim with a buddy.
- Learn to swim. formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning.
- Learning CPR.
- Air-filled or foam toys are not safety devices. wings or water noodles are not life jackets and are not designed to keep swimmers safe.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Install a four-sided fence around pools. The fence should be 4 feet tall at least. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open inwards with latches out of the reach of children. Also, consider other obstacles such as locks and alarms to prevent access or notify you if someone enters the pool area automatic doors.
- Clear the pool and pool toys. Remove all floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use so children are not tempted to get into the pool without supervision.
With the proper precautions, your summer can be fun and accident- free. Please share additional tips that you may have.
Contents of this site courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html
0 Komentar