Abigail Nacht
Research Mentor(s): Peter Larson
Mentor Department: Injury Prevention Center/School of Public Health/SEAS
Authors: Douglas Wiebe, Peter Larson
Session: Session 2 (10:00- 10:50am)
Presentation Type: Oral
Abstract
Statement of Purpose: As global temperatures increase, ice formation on water bodies might slow and/or be of shorter duration, increasing risk for drowning injury and mortality from ice falls related to e.g. recreational activities or traffic accidents. This research explores the state of the scholarly literature on ice-related drownings to facilitate further research into the possible relationship between climate change and unintentional ice-related drowning injury. Approach: We conducted a systematic review of the English language scholarly literature from PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. We used the search terms (ice OR winter) AND (drown OR drowning). We excluded case studies, clinical studies, studies involving animal subjects, and rescue protocols. We reviewed titles and abstracts, made a final determination for inclusion, and entered them into a master database. Results: Out of 468 unique articles, 30 fit the inclusion criteria. Out of these, seven included analyses of ice-related drowning. We found two more articles totaling nine: five papers from the United States, two from Scandinavia and from multiple countries. Study lengths ranged from 5 to 30 years, covering victims of all ages. Three papers focused on mortality. Four studies implicated alcohol, particularly in accidents involving snowmobiles. Only one paper investigated the role of declining ice quality as a contributing factor. Conclusions: There is very little published literature regarding the occurrence of ice-related drowning events and almost none on the potential role of climate change on ice-related drowning risk. Significance: Research that explores potential connections between global warming, melting ice, and drowning will help guide policy that might reduce the frequency of ice-fall related injury and deaths.
