Pitt W R, Balanda K P
Mater Misericordiae Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD.
Med J Aust. 1991 May 20;154(10):661-5. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb121253.x.
To describe the epidemiology of domestic swimming pool drowning and near-drowning in Brisbane and to examine the efficacy of a broad range of preventive options, including pool fences.
A prospective, hospital-based, injury surveillance system to describe the epidemiology of drowning and near-drowning and a community survey to describe pool fencing.
The surveillance questionnaire was completed at presentation in the Emergency Department by the parent, nurse and doctor. Personal interviews in households that were randomly selected by means of a stratified sampling scheme provided the pool fencing description.
All 139 children suffering from an immersion injury resulting in presentation at a hospital in the catchment area of The Mater Children's Hospital were included. There were 204 households with a swimming pool in the 1024 households interviewed in the community survey.
The 100 domestic pool drownings and near-drownings were equivalent to 15.5 incidents per year per 100,000 children aged 0-13 years and 64.9 per year per 100,000 for the critical 1-3 years age group. Of 72 children who gained unintended access to a domestic pool, 88.9% were less than 3 years of age and 52.8% were less than 2 years. All 10 of the children who drowned and five who were severely brain damaged (age range, 12-32 months) were in this group. The risk of a drowning or near-drowning involving unintended access to an unfenced pool is 3.76 times higher than the risk associated with a fenced pool (95% confidence limits for relative risk: 2.14, 6.62).
Pool fences are an effective method of preventing child drownings and near-drownings. This effectiveness can be further improved if compliance with gate closure can be enhanced. This should be emphasised in health promotion accompanying the introduction of universal pool fencing.
描述布里斯班家庭游泳池溺水及近乎溺水事件的流行病学情况，并检验包括泳池围栏在内的一系列预防措施的效果。
采用基于医院的前瞻性伤害监测系统描述溺水及近乎溺水事件的流行病学情况，并通过社区调查描述泳池围栏情况。
监测问卷由家长、护士和医生在急诊科就诊时填写。通过分层抽样方案随机选择的家庭进行个人访谈，以获取泳池围栏情况的描述。
纳入了在玛特尔儿童医院服务区域内所有因浸没性损伤而到医院就诊的139名儿童。社区调查中，在接受访谈的1024户家庭中有204户家庭拥有游泳池。
100起家庭游泳池溺水及近乎溺水事件相当于每10万名0至13岁儿童每年发生15.5起，对于关键的1至3岁年龄组，每年每10万人中有64.9起。在72名意外进入家庭游泳池的儿童中，88.9%年龄小于3岁，52.8%年龄小于2岁。所有10名溺水儿童和5名严重脑损伤儿童（年龄范围为12至32个月）均在此年龄组。意外进入无围栏游泳池导致溺水或近乎溺水的风险比有围栏游泳池高3.76倍（相对风险的95%置信区间：2.14，6.62）。
泳池围栏是预防儿童溺水及近乎溺水的有效方法。如果能加强对关闭大门的遵守情况，这种有效性可以进一步提高。在推行通用泳池围栏的同时，应在健康促进中强调这一点。
