Proper first aid for drowning to save the patient at the last minute

According to doctors, proper first aid for drowning will help save the life of a drowning patient; otherwise, the patient's life will be in danger.

Talking about emergency treatment for drowning cases, Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, 108 Military Central Hospital, recalled that one time while swimming in the hotel pool, he heard a cry for help.

Illustration photo.

A drowning girl was brought to shore and a man held her upside down to drain the water. However, the child's cyanosis did not improve.

Realizing the baby's critical condition, Dr. Tuan and Dr. Ha Hoai Nam (in the same department) placed the baby on a hard surface and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After about 2 minutes of chest compressions, realizing that there was a lot of food refluxing from the stomach into the baby's mouth, Dr. Nam and a doctor from Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital cleared the baby's airway.

After 5 minutes of first aid, the baby regained consciousness and was taken to the nearest medical center for further treatment.

The next morning, when we met again, the family happily announced that the baby's test results were all good. That was truly our happiness.

According to Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, when drowning occurs, first aid is extremely important. In this case, carrying the drowning victim upside down is not an appropriate first aid method.

With this first aid method, many people mistakenly believe that this action helps remove water from the child's respiratory system and helps the child breathe on their own.

However, this only delays more important first aid steps, including CPR. The amount of water that enters the lungs during drowning is usually small and can be removed by performing chest compressions and when the child is able to breathe on his or her own. Delaying CPR and chest compressions increases the risk of irreversible brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

According to doctors, the first thing to do in first aid for drowning children is to get the child out of the water. Then assess the child's condition to see if the child has stopped breathing or has stopped having a heart attack.

If so, quickly perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and notify people around to call 115 emergency.

Chest compression position: Above the sternum, at the level of the line connecting the 2 nipples. Press down on the chest about 1/3 - 1/2 deep into the chest. Chest compression rate is 100 times/minute. If you are the only one performing first aid: Perform 30 chest compressions, then 2 rescue breaths.

If there are 2 rescuers: Perform 15 chest compressions, then 2 rescue breaths. Every 2 minutes, reassess whether the child is breathing and has a pulse. Once the child has a heartbeat and breathing again, quickly take the child to a medical facility to check the function after CPR.

It is known that recently it is very heartbreaking that in just a short period of time at resorts (hotels, resort apartments) there have been 2 drowning incidents that put 3 children in danger.

Unfortunately, in the first incident, due to not being discovered in time and given proper first aid, the two children of a couple renting a vacation apartment did not survive.

This is a warning to parents when taking their children on vacation to places with swimming pools, beaches, lakes, rivers...: parents need to pay close attention and not take their eyes off their children while they are swimming to avoid unfortunate situations.

Dr. Le Ngoc Duy, Head of the Emergency and Anti-Poison Department, National Children's Hospital, said that the first few minutes are the golden time to rescue drowning children.

Improper first aid will delay this emergency time and even cause more damage to the child. There are some cases where the child regains consciousness and is taken home to rest. However, this is not recommended and the child should still be taken to a medical facility for further examination and monitoring of complications after drowning.

The signs can be very difficult to detect such as: difficulty breathing, chest pain accompanied by cough, fatigue, behavioral changes... especially in young children. If not detected and treated promptly, complications can worsen the child's health condition.

So what can be done to prevent drowning? According to Dr. Duy, authorities need to organize propaganda for all people to participate in preventing child drowning.Educate knowledge and skills (for children from grade 1) to prevent drowning and teach children to swim safely.

Educate caregivers to always pay attention, manage, and supervise children at all times and in all places. Eliminate the risk of drowning for children in the community, family, and school.

Public swimming areas must be supervised by lifeguards trained in rescue techniques.

Ponds, lakes, and water containers in the home must have fences and covers. There are warning signs at rivers, lakes, and public places.

Educate and guide older children to recognize dangerous places with high risk of drowning. It is necessary to disseminate preventive measures and proper first aid to the people. Organize basic first aid classes for the community.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/so-cuu-duoi-nuoc-dung-cach-de-cuu-benh-nhan-trong-gang-tac-d218203.html