3. Clinical Manifestations and Symptoms

The signs of drowning vary by type and severity but signal an urgent need for intervention.

• Respiratory Distress: Inability to breathe or extreme difficulty breathing is the most definitive sign. This may be accompanied by severe coughing, wheezing, or hırıltı (a rattling sound).
• Cyanosis (Morarma): A blue or purple discoloration of the lips, fingertips, and nail beds due to severe oxygen deficiency.
• Physical and Behavioral Signs:
  • In Water: Panic, thrashing, and struggling at the water’s surface.
  • Choking: Inability to speak or make noise, often accompanied by the universal sign of clutching the throat with both hands.
• Loss of Consciousness: As hypoxia progresses, brain function deteriorates, leading to fainting. This is a critical indicator of the incident’s severity.
• Frothy Sputum (Köpüklü Balgam): Pink, foamy sputum may be expelled, particularly in cases where pulmonary edema has developed.
• Cardiac Arrest: The final stage of severe, prolonged oxygen deprivation, resulting in the cessation of heart function.