What to look for after an accident in pool

[Counting_Pennies]

Can anyone give me any links to websites, etc to help me monitor my son.

He had an accident in the pool during his swimming lesson on Thursday. He was waiting at the end of the pool in the water with his floating device when he came away from it and went under. From what I can tell the teacher was showing one of the three children in the class the next move. (They each take it in turns and then stay at the end of the pool watching.)

The teacher said he took on a lot of water, he had bobbed back up by the time she reached him, and she said she managed to get up a lot of water, but that he might still have more from the swallowing.

I wasn't there, as parents aren't allowed to stay, due to the distraction for the children, so can't tell how serious it was, but I think it was sufficiently.

She told me to keep an eye on him that night. He coughed a lot in the night, but he has had a cough so not too worried. Then he woke up yesterday a little groggy but adament he wanted to go to school, he said he would feel better when he got there. I told the teacher to watch out for anything, and she said she would call, but there was nothing. He is always so happy there.

Then as soon as he got out of school yesterday he was absolutely shattered, started crying the minute he got out, an hour later was sick (but could that have been a tummy bug, as they are going round school)

Ordinarily I wouldn't be worried, I would put it down to a cough and a bug, but after the swimming near miss I am slightly worried but can't find anything from a search on google, apart from lawyers adverts, which I don't want to look at as they give the worse case scenario each time. I know from experience if I phone NHS Direct they will tell me to go to the emergency doctor or A&E, they have done that each time I have called them, for no matter what kind of ailment, so don't want them to freak me unneccesarily.

Does anyone have any information that I could go through, or any experience to put my mind at rest?

Many thanks

[alwaysonthego]

I would personally get him checked out at your local a&e or gp on monday just for reassurrance. The only thing I can think of that he could get is maybe a chest infection but then again I am not a medic. It is always awful to wait and see what happens, not good for the mind!!!! Hope your son makes a speedy recovery xx

[MrsTine]

If you are really worried call your local surgery and ask for an emergency appointment today. What needs to be checked is if there is any water in his lungs really although if he already had a cough he could just have some phlegm from that in there :)
Water in the stomach isn't nice but it's just chlorinated water in the stomach and nothing more...
The water in the lungs needs to be checked really as it can cause an infection, but if he wasn't under for long then the chances are he didn't inhale any water - the body usually looks after itself and reflexes should stop him inhaling the water but I'd just have it checked out in case. However this is something your GP can sort out really - not something that needs A&E care if you can get in to see the GP :)

[Ems*Honie]

If this were one of mine I would take them into emerg docs for a check up, just to be on the safe side :)

[splishsplash]

It's a bit worrying that the teacher said 'she managed to get up a lot of water' - did she have to resuscitate him? If so, he should have been sent to A&E immediately.

As you don't know whether he inhaled some water or just swallowed it, and considering he's been sick and off form, I would bring him along anyway to be checked out. I wouldn't wait until Monday.

[MrsTine]

Splish - if she's had to resus him I'm certain it would have been mentioned as let's be fair - resus at the side of a pool is not going to be missed by anyone in the vicinity! :) More likely is that he coughed/vomited up a lot of water from the stomach. Also the pool would have been notified and they would have called an ambulance as there are serious implications if you stop breathing as this means without a doubt that water got into the lungs and he would have needed oxygen and medical monitoring.
So not likely that she'd had to resus him (and I'm sure he'd have mentioned it too... waking up after being unconscious is very traumatic as is loosing consciousness under water obviously :) )
I'd stick with contacting local GP to just get them to check his lungs out for fluid :)

[silvercar]

We had a similar situation recently, though we were abroad at the time. The advice for our travel insurance helpline was to seek medical advice. Although he is probably fine you need to get someone to listen to his lungs, just to check that he has no fluid on them. If he has any other symptons he will need antibiotics to prevent an infection. He has swallowed water, which although chlorinated, could have contained anything from those in the vicinity.

If you put the right search items into google you will be horrifed and panic-stricken. DON'T DO THIS, it was the mistake I made and spent the following 48 hours in panic mode.

Thursday is quite a long time ago, really he should have been checked on Thursday. So you really should get him checked for peace of mind. The upside is that any infection would have given him a temperature by now.

[Peter Friswell]

If it has gone on this long then he is probably ok but..... I'm a scuba diving instructor and one of the things we are always aware of is secondary drowning where the victim can seem OK but then collapse later http://www.firstaidtopics.com/secondary-drowning/

With a child it is always better safe than sorry.

Peter

[bonnie]

This happened to my friends son and the chlorine burnt his lungs and he had to go on a ventilator, but i would have though after 2 days he would be ok.

[bestpud]

Have you had him checked out Counting_Pennies?

Some of the responses have freaked me out, just because my dd goes swimming, so goodness knows what they've done for you!

I hope he's ok.

[Counting_Pennies]

Have you had him checked out Counting_Pennies?

Some of the responses have freaked me out, just because my dd goes swimming, so goodness knows what they've done for you!

I hope he's ok.


Thanks all for responses.

Yes I have been mildly freaked. I ended up speaking to NHS Direct. I haven't had a great experience with them in the past, but for once the nurse I spoke to was very level headed. We spoke through all the symptoms, and she too believes my son probably has a bug.

She says the first 12 hours are the worst. In some ways I am pleased to be past the 12 hours and then find out what could have been the issue. However, I wish I had been given a little more advice at the swimming pool and taken him to get him checked that night at the doctors.

Thankfully though he has rallied throughout the afternoon, enough to help me put up some Christmas decorations, and he is constantly bugging me for the chocolate in his advent calendar, he has been told he has to eat a meal until he gets it.

He successfully fights off bugs really well, and I think he was in the midst of fighting one off when the incident happened, and I think his immune system couldn't cope with two issues and gave in to the bug. Thankfully he seems much better now. Hopefully it is just a 24 hour thing.

Thanks all

[benood]

We had very similar experience last year - but our son didn't seem to have any ill effects once he'd coughed up the water.

The problem came the following week at swimming when getting him back in the water was very difficult - he spent quite a few lessons on the side looking nervous but one year on he's pretty much ok although he is very wary of riversides pools etc.

[pingua]

Think I would be watching the lessons. I know accidents happen but I do feel any swimming lesson that is not one to one does have that added risk attached. The teacher physically can't watch other kids whilst instructing another and 'showing the next move'.

Lots af parents watch kids swimming lessons and the kids do not seem to have a problem with being distracted.

Is anyone other than the kids and teacher in the pool at the time of these lessons?

[scottishchick27]

Glad your son is feeling better, you must've had such a scare. I hope he doesn't develop a fear of water.

On a lighter note when I first saw your title for this thread "What to look for after an accident in pool" my first thought was 'a brown floating object'. :rolleyes: :D

[bestpud]

Glad your son is feeling better, you must've had such a scare. I hope he doesn't develop a fear of water.

On a lighter note when I first saw your title for this thread "What to look for after an accident in pool" must first thought was 'a brown floating object'. :rolleyes: :D

That's exactly what my DH said when he scanned the thread from over my shoulder! :rotfl:

Thanks for the update - I'm glad you and your son are happier now Counting_Pennies.

I have to admit, we took dd swimming today and I was a little more nervous then usual as she was ducking and diving!

[Savvy_Sue]

However, I wish I had been given a little more advice at the swimming pool and taken him to get him checked that night at the doctors. I would certainly write to the pool and make that point to them, if not as a formal complaint then certainly as a 'room for improvement' comment.

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