Drowning accidents: Remember the "5 golden breaths" to save children.

(DTO) The heartbreaking accident on the banks of the Lo River that claimed the lives of five young children simultaneously once again raises the alarm about drowning among children every summer. Just a few minutes of carelessness can turn a fun outing into a lifelong nightmare for the whole family. It's worth noting that in many cases, if proper first aid is given in the first few minutes, children still have a chance of survival.

The first thing everyone needs to remember: even children who know how to swim can drown.

Many parents think that once their children have learned to swim, they are safe. But swimming in a pool and swimming in a river, pond, canal, or stream are two very different things. Underwater, there may be strong currents, deep holes, whirlpools, or areas prone to landslides that children are unaware of.

Cold water can easily cause cramps, especially when children panic and try to swim against the current to reach the shore, quickly becoming exhausted. When choking on water and losing composure, children can sink very quickly even if they were previously good swimmers.

A very dangerous mistake nowadays is that many people still "shake water off the tank".

Carrying a child upside down and running around in the hope that the water in their lungs will drain out is actually not in accordance with current resuscitation guidelines.

The water that comes out is mainly from the stomach, not the lungs. Shaking the child out of the water also increases the risk of fluid refluxing into the airways, making the child's suffocation worse.

Most importantly, it wastes the "golden time" for respiratory resuscitation. Even a few minutes of oxygen deprivation to the brain can cause severe damage.

In cases of drowning, the first thing to do is to help the child regain oxygen.

According to the CDC and the American Heart Association, the latest drowning emergency care guidelines, officially agreed upon and published in November 2024 along with the European Council's 5-breath protocol, have brought mouth-to-mouth resuscitation back to the top priority in drowning emergency care, instead of the overuse of "hands-only CPR," which is only for those with common heart attacks.

Unlike many cases of cardiac arrest in adults due to heart disease, drowning is a condition where the body is deprived of oxygen first, and then the heart stops beating. Therefore, in drowning resuscitation, early mouth-to-mouth resuscitation plays a very important role.

As soon as you get the child ashore, quickly call for help to call emergency services (115), and begin first aid immediately.

How do you perform five consecutive breaths of artificial respiration?

The initial "five golden breaths" rescue technique for drowning victims needs to be performed correctly and calmly, consisting of four steps:

Step 1: Lay the baby on their back on a hard surface, with their head and body straight.
The rescuer kneels beside the child's head. If the wet clothing is too thick and covers the chest, it can be quickly loosened to allow for easier observation of the rib cage.

Step 2: Clear the airway.

Place one hand on the child's forehead and gently tilt the head back. Use two fingers of the other hand to lift the chin. This movement prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the trachea. Do not bend the child's neck forward as this will narrow the airway.

If you see mud, algae, food particles, or mucus in your mouth, quickly remove them with a finger wrapped in a clean cloth. Do not try to remove them further if you cannot see the foreign object, as this may worsen the blockage.

Step 3: Perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

For children over 1 year old: Hold the child's forehead with one hand, tilting their head slightly back. Use the thumb and index finger of that hand to seal both nostrils. The rescuer takes a normal breath, not too deep. Seal their mouth completely over the child's mouth to prevent air from escaping.

For children under 1 year old: A separate nose plug is not necessary. The rescuer's mouth will cover both the child's nose and mouth simultaneously because the child's face is still small.

How to blow: Blow slowly and evenly for about 1 second each breath. Do not blow too hard. Keep your eyes on the child's chest. The most important sign that you are blowing correctly is when the child's chest rises gently with each breath.

If the chest doesn't rise: You need to adjust your posture, tilt your head back and lift your chin, check your mouth for any foreign objects, and then blow again.

After each breath: Lift your mouth, release your hand covering your nose (if it's an older child), allow your chest to deflate naturally, and then continue with the next breath.

The rescuer repeated the rescue breaths five times in quick succession.

Things to avoid: Don't shake the water out; don't press on the stomach; don't blow too hard or too fast; don't waste time trying to "get the water out".

Just blow enough to make your chest rise; that's all you need to do.

After the first 5 breaths: If the child begins to cough, breathe on their own, or move, continue monitoring and take them to the hospital immediately.

Step 4: Perform chest compressions.

If the child remains unconscious and is not breathing on their own, begin chest compressions in cycles of 30 chest compressions + 2 breaths and call 115 as soon as possible.

The most important thing in drowning emergency care is to get oxygen to the brain as quickly as possible. In many cases, just a few proper breaths in the first few minutes can save a child's life.

Continue this treatment until medical personnel arrive or the child shows signs of recovery.

Even if a child regains consciousness after drowning, they should still be taken to a medical facility for monitoring because respiratory failure or pulmonary edema may develop later.

Prevention is the most important thing.

Parents should absolutely never allow children to swim in rivers, ponds, or lakes without adult supervision. The supervisor must always be close enough to reach and touch the child when necessary.

Indoors, water containers, fish tanks, and water reservoirs must have secure lids. Areas with deep rivers, strong currents, ferry terminals, or landslide-prone areas need clear warning signs.

In addition to learning to swim, children also need to learn "survival swimming" skills: learning to float, staying calm when falling into the water, knowing how to call for help, and not panicking.

A moment of carelessness can cost a child's life. But sometimes, just a few minutes of calm, knowing how to perform the "five golden breaths," can save a life teetering on the brink of death.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Uc

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/tai-nan-duoi-nuoc-nho-5-nhip-tho-vang-de-cuu-tre-a241243.html