Dry Drowning: What You Need to Know

(Originally Aired: 2/27/2018) Guest: Mary Denise Dowd, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Attending Physician, Emergency Department of The Children's Mercy Hospital and Chief, Section of Injury Prevention Last Spring, a viral photo of a Florida four-year-old sparked renewed attention to “dry drowning.” The girl had accidentally inhaled some pool water and vomited, but seemed fine. Days later, though, she was rushed to the emergency room with a fever, accelerated heart rate, and face turning purple. She survived, thankfully, and her mother took to social media to share her story. These dry drowning stories are scary for parents, but many medical experts caution that it’s not a true medical condition. Worse, they worry confusion over “dry drowning” causes parents to panic unnecessarily and distracts from the real risks of drowning.