Where do people drown?
This is quite age dependent. In infants most drowning deaths occur in bathtubs, often due to neglect or poor parenting skills. Buckets and toilets can also be hazards as children are top heavy and once immerged may not be able to extricate themselves. Toddlers mostly drown in swimming pools which disturbingly about half the time belong to their own family. These deaths often occur after a seemingly minimal supervisory lapse. Adolescents are more likely to drown in rivers, lakes and canals while engaged in risky behavior and using alcohol or drugs. Recommended treatment Treatment is aimed at correcting hypoxia and acidosis. Rescue breathing should begin as soon as possible, even during the water rescue if feasible, with standard CPR beginning immediately after extrication. Although there should always be a suspicion of trauma, a reassuring paper by Watson (J Trauma 2001) found that cervical spine injuries were rare in drowning episodes unless the patient had obvious physical findings or
