Versilia Hospital to coordinate national drowning research study

Versilia Hospital has been designated as the national coordinating center for ‘DrownInEd’ (Drowning in the Emergency Department), a new multicenter observational research project. Promoted by the Azienda USL Toscana nord ovest, the study aims to analyze the management of non-fatal drowning cases within Italian emergency departments.

The initiative seeks to identify critical gaps in current medical responses and establish more uniform, rapid, and effective care pathways. While Italy records approximately 350 drowning deaths annually, the project emphasizes that survivors often face significant delayed respiratory complications due to water inhalation.

Coordinated by the Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care department at Versilia Hospital under the direction of Giuseppe Pepe, the research network currently includes hospitals in Massa, Livorno, and Grosseto. The project is expected to expand in the coming months to include additional centers in Siena, Pisa-Cisanello, and Pietra Ligure.