(This blog was originally posted on October 4, 2012)
I have previously written a blog (#7) on this
website about the hazard of drowning in the bathroom shower. Several weeks ago
I learned about another such tragedy. A young woman with epilepsy drowned in
the shower. Apparently, she fell face-down and blocked the shower drain. This
is an unrecognized danger among the physicians whom I teach, including
neurology residents-in-training. At a recent conference I attended, the young
neurologists were surprised when I discussed this with them. “I never really
considered that,” was their typical response.
If possible, people who have epilepsy should take baths
and showers only when someone is home
and the bathroom door is open. Nine patients cared for by my neurology group drowned
at home. Three among these had a convulsion in the shower. They fell face-down
and blocked the drain. Their faces were submersed under inches of water that
collected in the basin. Mark Twain’s daughter, who had epilepsy, drowned in the
bathtub. I remember one young woman I had treated for epilepsy. She was
cautioned about the dangers of swimming alone in her backyard pool. One day her
lifeless body was found floating by her pool maintenance workers.
In
addition, mothers who have epilepsy need to use care in holding their infants
over bathtubs and hot surfaces. Dropping the baby during a seizure would be
disastrous.
One need not forsake these activities. Rather, the above
scenarios are meant to remind people of these risks and that they should use
appropriate precautions.
Lance Fogan, M.D. is Clinical Professor of Neurology at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. DINGS is his first novel.
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