11-year-old sister performed CPR to save her drowning brother

The Pediatric Center, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) said that it had just received a 10-year-old boy (residing in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi) transferred from the Agricultural General Hospital in a state of intubation, requiring a ventilator, respiratory failure, drowning , and acute pulmonary edema.

Chị gái 11 tuổi thổi ngạt, ép tim cứu em trai bị đuối nước - Ảnh 1.

The patient and her sister at the Pediatric Center, Bach Mai Hospital. Photo: Provided by the doctor

The patient's family said that while playing, the patient fell into the neighbor's pond. His sister and another friend pulled him out about 2 minutes later. At this time, the patient was unconscious, purple, and limp...

At that time, the 11-year-old sister put her ear to her chest and heard her heart still beating. When she touched her nose to check her breathing, it was very weak, so the older sister performed artificial respiration and chest compressions.

The boy gradually regained consciousness and said “help” before passing out, so the older sister continued to give him 1-2 mouth-to-mouth resuscitations and chest compressions to revive him. After about 2 minutes of chest compressions, the boy was able to breathe and cry.

At this time, a neighbor came to coordinate with the family to take the boy to the emergency medical facility.

Upon admission to the Agricultural General Hospital ( Hanoi ), the patient was conscious, slightly cyanotic, and was given oxygen and diuretics. After about 3-4 hours, the patient had difficulty breathing, a high fever, and low blood oxygen. The doctor placed an endotracheal tube on the child and transferred him to Bach Mai Hospital at the 6th hour after drowning.

Speaking to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper on the afternoon of August 8, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Nam, Director of the Pediatric Center, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), said that the child had fluid drained through an endotracheal tube, was put on a ventilator, and was receiving intensive treatment... Up to now, after 2 days of treatment, the child is completely awake, breathing on his own, and can be discharged in the next 1-2 days.

According to Dr. Nam, when visiting her younger brother at the Pediatric Center, the patient's older sister performed CPR on a practice model. Initial emergency records showed that the older sister performed the procedure well, basically correctly, which is why the patient's condition is as it is now.

Directly treating the child, Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, Pediatric Center, assessed this child as a lucky case because the initial emergency treatment of the older sister was very reasonable. The child was only 11 years old but knew first aid skills for drowning such as listening to the heart, performing chest compressions, giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and calling for help. When the patient was able to breathe on his own, his family took him to the emergency room.

The older sister said that her nephew learned first aid skills for drowning at school and watched them on TV, so he applied them when his younger brother drowned.

According to doctors, if not given proper first aid, after about 5 minutes, the child may stop breathing or have a heart attack, leading to serious complications or death.

Doctors also recommend that when giving first aid to a drowning patient, do not turn the patient upside down and run. This action can easily cause the patient to regurgitate into the airway, even making the condition worse.

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