21 | Submersion Injuries with Dr Sarah Lazarus

About this episode

This episode discusses pediatric drowning and submersion injuries with Dr. Sarah Lazarus, focusing on clinical management and prevention strategies.

21 | Submersion Injuries with Dr. Sarah Lazarus In this episode of PEM CHATT, host Toni Dobson is joined by pediatric emergency physician Dr. Sarah Lazarus to break down the critical topic of pediatric drowning and submersion injuries. Together, they explore real-world clinical scenarios, debunk common myths, and provide practical guidance for both clinicians and caregivers. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of death in children, particularly ages 1–4, and even non-fatal events can result in devastating long-term consequences. This episode emphasizes both clinical management and prevention strategies—highlighting how quickly these events occur and how often they happen despite close supervision. 🔑 Key Takeaways Drowning is fast and silent Often occurs in seconds with little to no splashing or noise Terminology matters “Dry drowning” and “secondary drowning” are outdated and misleading Pathophysiology is respiratory Water aspiration → surfactant washout → impaired gas exchange → hypoxia Observation is critical True aspiration events should be monitored for ~6 hours from the time of incident Imaging isn’t always helpful Chest X-rays can lead to unnecessary admissions…

People in this episode

Host: Toni Dobson

Guest: Dr. Sarah Lazarus

Topics covered

• pediatric drowning
• submersion injuries
• clinical management
• prevention strategies
• myths debunked

Keywords

• drowning
• submersion injuries
• pediatric emergency
• clinical scenarios
• prevention