Table 1 Characteristics of seawater and freshwater drowning patients

Baseline characteristics

Age (years)

68 (54–75)

69 (59–77)

58 (35–69)

 < 0.0001

Male sex

161 (59.6)

112 (56.3)

49 (69)

0.08

At least one psychiatric

comorbidity

72 (26.7%)

38 (19.1)

34 (47.9)

 < 0.0001

Obesity

38 (16.7)

27 (13.6)

11 (15.5)

0.3

Alcoholism

42 (15.6)

24 (12.1)

18 (25.3)

0.01

Cardiovascular disease

29 (10.7)

20 (10)

9 (12.7)

0.51

Respiratory disease

19 (7.0)

9 (4.5)

10 (14.1)

0.29

Etiology

Drug or alcohol intoxication

Suicide attempt

Presumed cardiac

Presumed neurologic

Accident

30 (11.7)

26 (10.1)

48 (18.7)

15 (5.8)

151 (55.9)

18 (9.6)

8 (4.2)

43 (23)

9 (4.8)

121 (60.8)

12 (17.1)

18 (25.7)

5 (7.1)

6 (8.5)

30 (42.2)

0.11

 < 0.0001

0.006

0.23

0.01

Season

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

51 (18.9)

185 (68.5)

8 (3)

26 (9.6)

27 (13.6)

158 (79.4)

4 (2)

10 (5)

24 (33.8)

27 (38)

4 (5.6)

16 (22.5)

0.0004

 < 0.0001

0.21

 < 0.0001

Scene information

Loss of consciousness

198 (73.3)

139 (69.8)

59 (83.1)

0.04

CGS < 13

129 (47.8)

81 (40.7)

48 (87.3)

0.0002

Event witnessed

185 (68.5)

146 (73.4)

39 (54.9)

0.006

Cardiac arrest

103 (38.1)

67 (33.7)

36 (50.7)

0.017

Resuscitation before EMS

88 (85.4)

61 (91.0)

27 (75.0)

0.03

EMS called

261 (96.7)

192 (96.5)

69 (97.8)

0.99

CPR duration

17.5 (5–30)

15 (5–30)

25 (11–37)

0.037

Clinical and laboratory findings at ICU admission

Temperature (°C)

35.4 (33.5–36.6)

35.5 (34–36.6)

34.5 (31.5–36.4)

0.0096

Leukocyte count (109/L)

11.3 (8.4–16.1)

11.7 (8.8–16.1)

10.2 (7.2–15.8)

0.17

PaO2/FIO2 (mm Hg/%)

142 (93–221)

141 (93–206)

162 (95–271)

0.24

PaCO2 (mmHg)

43 (38–51)

43 (38–50)

45 (39–55)

0.044

Sodium (mmol/L)

143 (138–147)

145 (141–148)

136 (132–140)

 < 0.0001

Invasive MV at day 1

105 (38.9)

62 (32.2)

43 (60.6)

 < 0.0001

SAPS II at day 1

36 (26–63)

34 (26–55)

52 (28–74)

0.0026

SOFA at day 1

3 (2–8)

2 (1–6)

7 (3–12)

 < 0.0001

Clinical course and ICU management

Duration of mechanical ventilation (days)

3 (2–6)

4 (2–6)

2 (2–5)

0.26

ARDS

102 (37.8)

59 (29.6)

43 (60.6)

 < 0.0001

ARDS severity

Mild

Moderate

Severe

10 (3.7)

44 (16.2)

48 (17.8)

6 (3)

25 (12.6)

28 (14.1)

4 (5.6)

19 (26.8)

20 (28.2)

 > 0.99

Neuromuscular blockers

55 (20.4)

32 (16.1)

23 (32.4)

0.0058

Prone positioning ventilation

21 (7.8)

14 (7)

7 (9.9)

0.44

Need for vasopressors

80 (29.6)

47 (23.6)

33 (46.5)

0.0005

AKI

58 (21.5)

30 (15.1)

28 (39.4)

 < 0.0001

RRT use

9 (3.3)

5 (2.5)

4 (5.6)

0.25

Presumed pneumonia

107 (39.8)

75 (37.7)

32 (45.1)

0.36

ICU length of stay (days)

2 (1–4)

2 (1–4)

3 (2–7)

0.14

CPC score at hospital discharge

1 (1–2)

1 (1–1)

1 (1–5)

0.0002

Day-28 mortality

55 (20.4)

29 (14.6)

26 (36.6)

0.00015