Skip to content

Drowning in Denmark: A Registry-based Study of Fatal and Non-fatal Drowning From 2016 to 2023

The Epidemiological Profile of Non-fatal and Fatal Drowning: A Danish Nationwide Registry-based Cohort Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05425537
Enrollment
1664
Registered
2022-06-21
Start date
2016-01-01
Completion date
2025-03-01
Last updated
2025-05-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Drowning

Keywords

Drowning, Non-fatal, Utstein, Register study, Retrospective, Reigstry-based study

Brief summary

Using nationwide data from the prehospital electronic health records from 2016 to 2023, this registry-based cohort study aims to establish a nationwide epidemiological profile of non-fatal and fatal drowning patients in Denmark in adherence with the Utstein Style For Drowning (USFD) recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from drowning. This includes reporting the annual incidence rates per 100,000 person-years, assessing the associations between predefined prognostic variables and 30-day survival, and reporting the spatial distribution of drowning incidents presented on a map of Denmark.

Detailed description

Purpose The purpose of this study is to establish a nationwide epidemiological profile of non-fatal and fatal drowning patients in Denmark which can be used to target educational, preventative, rescue, or treatment strategies to reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents in Denmark. Objectives The primary objective is to estimate the yearly incidence rates of drowning patients in Denmark treated by the Danish Emergency Medical Services from 2016 to 2023. The secondary objective is to report the associations between predefined prognostic variables and 30-day survival. Study design A nationwide registry-based study with data from the Danish Drowning Cohort (extracted from the prehospital electronic health records using syndromic surveillance and extensive manual validation) from 2016 to 2023 with 30-day follow-up.

Interventions

Drowning is defined by the WHO in 2002 as the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid

Sponsors

Prehospital Center, Region Zealand
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* The patient must have been experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid AND * The patient must have been in contact with the Danish prehospital emergency medical services.

Exclusion criteria

\- Patients were excluded if the incident involved submersion or immersion with aspiration, but the patient did not experience respiratory impairment. For example, if the patient was rescued from the water without signs of respiratory impairment, or if the respondent reported a few coughs or voluntary cough.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Annual drowning incidence rates per 100,000 person-years from 2016-2023Counts of fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents will be obtained between 2016-2023.The primary objective is to estimate the annual incidence of fatal and non-fatal drowning patients in Denmark treated by the prehospital emergency medical services from 2016 to 2023 and will be reported as the annual number of cases per 100,000 person-years.
30-day survival following drowning incidents in Denmark from 2016-202330-day follow-up after the drowning incidentThe primary outcome is 30-day survival (alive/dead).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Association between prognostic variables and 30-day survivalFrom 2016-2023This outcome will explore predefined prognostic variables associated with 30-day survival after a drowning incident. The following risk factors will be analysed using multivariable logistic regression models and presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs): witnessed status, sex, age, OHCA, submersion duration, season, location.
Map of fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents in Denmark from 2016-2023From 2016-2023Showing a map of geographical localization of drowning in Denmark in the study period indicating 30-day mortality and survival

Countries

Denmark

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026