The factors that determine the amount of pleural effusion in cases of
drowning have not been well established. In a series of cases of drown
ing from the years 1987-1991, several parameters have been registered
to determine whether any correlations could be found between these and
the amount of pleural fluid in the drowning victims. A statistically
significant difference was found between the cases with and those with
out increased pleural effusion, indicating that the time spent in wate
r is correlated to the production of pleural fluid. A significant diff
erence was also found between saltwater and freshwater drownings, indi
cating that more pleural fluid is produced in saltwater than in freshw
ater drownings.