Near Drowning in Seawater: A Case Report

Drowning is a public health issue responsible for numerous deaths each year, affecting mostly children and young people. We present a clinical case of a young male who drowned in seawater; he was first rescued by bystanders who started basic life support while waiting for the emergency team’s arrival. At the team’s arrival, the patient was treated according to the advanced life support algorithm and transferred to the hub-referring hospital, sedated and intubated. The investigations showed a lung pattern suggestive of acute respiratory distress syndrome compatible with drowning. In the following days, intensive care management was oriented to treat acute respiratory failure using lung-protective mechanical ventilation, curarization, and prone positioning. Advanced monitoring and supportive therapies were fundamental for the patient care. Forty-eight hours after drowning, the patient was extubated, and safely discharged from the Intensive Care Unit. Near drowning is a potentially critical condition which should be promptly managed following advanced life support guidelines, preventing and treating acute respiratory failure to reach a good outcome in a scenario where there are still no guidelines for treatment.