Szpilman Drowning Classification
Szpilman drowning classification (Szpilman 1997): grades submersion injury 1–6 by respiratory status, auscultation, cough, and hypotension, each grade mapped to its validation-cohort mortality and disposition.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Respiratory / cardiac status
- Breathing, has a pulse
- Lung auscultation
- Rales in some lung fields
Result: Grade 2 (mortality ~0.6%): rales in some lung fields -- low-flow oxygen and hospital observation.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Grades 1-3
- Rescue / grade 1 (normal auscultation, +/- cough) ~0%; grade 2 (rales in some fields) ~0.6%; grade 3 (pulmonary edema, normotensive) ~5.2%.
- Grades 4-6
- grade 4 (pulmonary edema with hypotension) ~19.4%; grade 5 (isolated respiratory arrest) ~44%; grade 6 (cardiopulmonary arrest) ~93%.
What you enter
- Respiratory / cardiac status
- Lung auscultation
- Cough present
- Hypotension
How this is calculated
Szpilman D. Near-drowning and drowning classification: a proposal to stratify mortality based on the analysis of 1,831 cases. Chest. 1997;112(3):660-665. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.