Naslov
Dive-related fatalities among tourist and local divers in the Northern Croatian Littoral (1980-2010)

Autori
Stemberga, Valter ; Petaros, Anja ; Rašić, Veronika ; Ažman, Josip ; Šoša, Ivan ; Čoklo, Miran ; Uhač, Ivone ; Bosnar, Alan

Izvornik
Journal of travel medicine (1195-1982) 20 (2013), 2; 101-106

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
diving; free-diving; SCUBA diving; legal medicine; prevention; tourists

Sažetak
The aim of the study was to retrospectively analyze diving fatalities occurring in Primorje- Gorski Kotar County, Croatia between 1980 and 2010 in order to identify differences between fatally injured tourist and resident divers, as well as temporal changes in the frequency of diver deaths. Medico-legal and police reports of 47 consecutive fatal diving cases were reviewed to determine the frequency of death among divers in relation to year and month of death, age, sex, nationality, organization of diving, diving type and health condition. The majority of victims were foreign citizens (59.6%) most of whom fell victim to SCUBA diving (70.4%). 79% of resident divers succumbed during free-diving. The number of diving fatalities increased significantly in the three decades, especially among free-divers. Of the victims, 93% were males, usually belonging to younger age groups with tourist divers being significantly older than local divers. 31.9% of divers, mostly tourists, showed signs of acute, chronic or congenital pathological conditions. Fatally injured foreign divers differ from resident diver fatalities in diving method and age. Tourists are the group most at risk while SCUBA diving according to the Croatian sample. Occupational divers and free divers are the group most at risk among resident SCUBA divers. This study is an important tool in uncovering the most common victims of diving and the related risk factors. It also highlights the problems present in the legal and medical monitoring of recreational divers and evidences pre-event, event and post-event actions that could reduce the mortality rate in divers.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

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