First aids of drowning

​Drowning is defined as respiratory inability for being in or under a liquid. Drowning usually occurs silently, with only a few lucky people able to wave their hands or call for help. Symptoms following rescue may include vomiting, breathing problems, confusion, or unconsciousness.
When it is warm drowning is more common areas where people has more frequent access to water. Risk factors include alcohol use, epilepsy, and low socioeconomic status. Swimming pools, bathtubs, natural bodies of water, and buckets are some common places. followed by laryngospasm, initially the person holds their breath at low oxygen levels. Later in the process typical amount of water gets into the lungs. It may be classified into three types: drowning with death, drowning with ongoing health problems and drowning with no ongoing health problems.
 
 
Complications: Hypothermia, aspiration of vomit.
Treatment: Rescue breathing, CPR.
Prevention: Fencing pools, teaching children to swim.
 
What to look for

• If someone has been rescued from drowning you need to check if they’re breathing or not.
• If they aren't breathing, then you’ll need to give CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) straight away.

What you need to do
 
1.Get help

• Notify a lifeguard, if one is close. If not, ask someone to call 911.
• If you are alone, follow the steps below.

 
2.Move the person

• Take the person out of the water

 
3.Check for Breathing

• Place your ear next to the person's mouth and nose. Do you feel air on your cheek?
• Look to see if the person's chest is moving.

 
4.If the Person is Not Breathing, Check Pulse

• Check the person's pulse for 10 seconds.

 
5.If There is No Pulse, Start CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that combines chest compressions often with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest.
• Carefully place person on back.
• For an adult or child, place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest at the nipple line. You can also push with one hand on top of the other. For an infant, place two fingers on the breastbone.
• For an adult or child, press down at least 2 inches. Make sure not to press on ribs. For an infant, press down about 1 and 1/2 inches. Make sure not to press on the end of the breastbone.
• Do chest compressions only, at the rate of 100-120 per minute or more. Let the chest rise completely between pushes.
• Check to see if the person has started breathing.

 

1. Steps for Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation

• Turn the drowning person's head to the side, allowing any water to drain from his or her mouth and nose. Turn the head back to the center.
• Begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on land, if possible, or in the water if the injured person needs immediate life-and-death measures.
• Strongly breathe four times into the mouth of the injured person as you pinch his or her nose. This helps air get past any water that is clogging the breathing passageways and the lungs.
• After four strong breaths, put your ear near the mouth and watch the chest for any breathing movement.
• Check the pulse for signs of life.
• Repeat the cycle. 

Note that these instructions are not meant to replace CPR training. Classes are available through the American Red Cross, local hospitals, and other organizations.
 
7.Repeat if Person Is Still Not Breathing

• If you've been trained in CPR, you can now open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
• Pinch the nose of the victim closed. Take a normal breath, cover the victim's mouth with yours to create an airtight seal, and then give 2 one-second breaths as you watch for the chest to rise.
• Give 2 breaths followed by 30 chest compressions.
• Continue this cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until the person starts breathing or emergency help arrives.

 
What to worry about next
You're not out of the water once the drowning victim starts to breathe and choke. In fact, the first 48 hours after a drowning incident can be the most dangerous. Complications resulting from water exposure—pneumonia, infection, heart failure—can all occur during this time. Therefore, you should always take a drowning victim to the hospital.
Babies and Drowning
Babies are particularly vulnerable to drowning incidents, even in wading pools because they sometimes don't have enough strength to pick up their heads. If you must perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a baby, don't use forceful breaths. Instead, breathe gentle puffs of air into the baby's mouth and nose four times.
References:

1. https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drowning-treatment
2. http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-advice/breathing/drowning.aspx
3. https://www.familyeducation.com/life/pool-safety/reviving-someone-who-has-drowned-or-swallowed-water

 

Author details 
Shadat Nabil
Student,Department of Pharmaceutical science, North South University.