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Near drowning

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Drowning - near

Prevention:

• Avoid drinking alcohol whenever swimming or boating.
• Observe water safety rules.
• Take a water safety course.
• Never allow children to swim alone or unsupervised regardless of their ability to swim.
• Never leave children alone for any period of time, or let them leave your line of sight around any pool or body of water. Drownings have occurred when parents left "for just a minute" to answer the phone or door.
• Drowning can occur in any container of water. Do not leave any standing water (in empty basins, buckets, ice chests, kiddy pools, or bathtubs). Secure the toilet seat cover with a child safety device.
• Fence all pools and spas. Secure all the doors to the outside, and install pool and door alarms.
• If your child is missing, check the pool immediately.

• Review Date: 7/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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