285 A case series of 93 hospitalized under-five non-fatal drowning victims in rural Bangladesh

<h3>Background</h3> Drowning is a global public health problem for both morbidity and mortality in children and young adults especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Bangladesh drowning is the leading cause of death of children aged 1–5 years. In 2016, the rate of non-fatal drowning was 819.5/100,000 among 1–4 years old children and fatal drowning was 71.7/100,000 population, more than nine times higher incidents occur in non-fatal to fatal drownings in Bangladesh. Most previous studies on drowning focused on the description of drowning mortality and trends. There have been few studies on non-fatal drowning. <h3>Objective</h3> This study aim was to find out the issues and factors associated with hospitalization due to non-fatal drowning of under five children in rural Bangladesh. <h3>Methods</h3> 93 hospitalized children between 1–5 years’ old who experienced at least one non-fatal drowning between January 2021 and November 2023 were included in the study. Participants were identified from an ongoing passive surveillance database of seven sub-districts under the CreCHeS programme of the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB). A pretested, structured questionnaire was used to collect data related to hospitalization, socioeconomic status, and the occurrence of non-fatal drownings. <h3>Results</h3> Preliminary data indicates that 53 boys (57%) and 40 girls (43%), who were rescued from drowning, were transferred to a nearby hospital and pharmacy. The majority (72%) of non-fatal drownings involved children aged 1–3. All of those non-fatal casualties occurred between 7 AM to 6 PM. Almost 78% (n=73) of the victims were rescued by their neighbors or family members, and 94%(n=87) of the incidents happened in the pond within 20–40 meters of their residence. The cost of the treatment found ranged from 2,000 to 25,600 BDT, with a maximum hospitalization stay of 7 days and a minimum of 1 hour. Only one instance required ICU assistance. After being rescued, nobody received any first aid. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Most nonfatal drownings involved children ages 1–3 of both sexes and in ponds. Casualty management costs were between 2,000 and 25,600 BDT, with a maximum hospitalized stay of 7 days. Nobody received any first aid after being rescued.