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Table 2 Medical data of drowning patients treated by the Danish Air Ambulance from 2016 to 2021

From: Characteristics and critical care interventions in drowning patients treated by the Danish Air Ambulance from 2016 to 2021: a nationwide registry-based study with 30-day follow-up

 

Non-fatal

(n = 27)

Fatal

(n = 55)

Total

(n = 82)

p-value

Sex, male, n (%)

19 (70)

32 (58)

51 (62)

0.42

Missing

0 (0)

16 (29)

16 (20)

 

Age, years, median [IQR]

23 [6–53]

58 [37–71]

50 [18–69]

 < 0.01*

Age groups, n (%)

0.06

 < 1 years

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

1 to < 6 years

5 (19)

2 (4)

7 (9)

 

6 to < 14 years

5 (19)

1 (2)

6 (7)

 

14 to < 19 years

1 (4)

3 (5)

4 (5)

 

19 to < 26 years

2 (7)

1 (2)

3 (4)

 

26 to < 46 years

4 (15)

5 (9)

9 (11)

 

46 to < 60 years

4 (15)

9 (16)

13 (16)

 

 > 60 years

5 (19)

17 (31)

22 (27)

 

Missing

0 (0)

17 (31)

17 (21)

 

Primary diagnoses, n (%)

 < 0.01*

DG40 Epilepsy

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

DI460 Cardiac arrest with ROSC

6 (22)b1

10 (18)

16 (20)

 

DI461 Sudden cardiac death

0 (0)b2

25 (45)b1

25 (30)

 

DT751 Drowning

18 (67)

19 (35)b2

37 (45)

 

DT599 Intoxication

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

DT689 Accidental hypothermia

1 (4)

1 (2)

2 (2)

 

Secondary diagnoses, n (%)

0.12

DI460 Cardiac arrest with ROSC

2 (7)

1 (2)

3 (4)

 

DI461 Sudden cardiac death

0 (0)

1 (2)

1 (1)

 

DJ939 Pneumothorax

0 (0)

1 (2)

1 (1)

 

DT093 Traumatic spinal cord injury

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

DT751 Drowning

2 (7)

17 (31)

19 (23)

 

DT689 Accidental hypothermia

0 (0)

3 (5)

3 (4)

 

None

22 (81)

32 (58)

54 (66)

 

NACA score, median [IQR]

4 [4–5]

6 [6–7]

6 [5–7]

 < 0.01*

NACA score > 3, n (%)

20 (74)

54 (98)

74 (90)

 < 0.01*

Critical care interventions, n (%), missing

 

At least one critical care intervention

13 (48), 0

43 (78), 0

56 (68)

0.01*

Endotracheal intubation

13 (48), 0

36 (65), 3

49 (60), 3

0.11

Intraosseous cannulation

4 (15), 2

27 (49), 0

31 (38), 2

0.01*

Automated chest compression device

2 (7), 2

30 (55), 2

32 (39), 4

 < 0.01*

Ultrasound examination

6 (22), 2

22 (40), 2

28 (34), 4

0.21

Chest tube placement/thoracostomy

0 (0), 2

2 (4), 2

2 (2), 4

0.83

Transport type, n (%)

 < 0.01*,c

Airlifted by the Danish Air Ambulance

15 (56)

24 (44)

39 (48)

 

Transported by ambulance with physician escort

5 (19)

1 (2)

6 (7)

 

Transported by ambulance without physician escort

5 (19)

2 (4)

7 (9)

 

Non-conveyance

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

Patient declared dead prehospital

0 (0)

27 (49)

27 (33)

 

Missing

1 (4)

1 (2)

2 (2)

 
  1. Information on 30-day follow-up was missing for 16 patients who survived prehospital due to missing CPR number. All analyses are unadjusted.
  2. IQR Interquartile range, NACA The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) severity score, OHCA Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest, ROSC Return Of Spontaneous Circulation, min minutes. Missing data are excluded from the denominator
  3. *Statistically significant
  4. b1−b1 and b2−b2 = significant p-value followed by pairwise comparisons using Fisher's exact test adjusted for multiple testing with the Holm method, resulting in significant differences (p < 0.05)
  5. c = No significant pairwise associations were observed after removing the "Declared dead on-scene" category
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Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine

ISSN: 1757-7241