First Aid for Drowning

Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid. {WHO}

Inhaling water rather than air can cause unconsciousness or death from lack of oxygen (asphyxiation). When the lungs fill with water, normal chest expansion is restricted and circulating oxygen decreases.This can make the blood more acidic and cause brain and other organ damage.

How to prevent drowning by: {WHO}

The interventions which follow are based on research evidence (where available)
and expert opinion.

1. Remove the hazard

• Drain unnecessary accumulations of water (e.g. baths, ponds, buckets, etc.).

2. Create barriers

• Build flood control embankments in flood-prone areas.
• Implement and enforce mandatory isolation fencing for swimming pools.
• Where possible, fence around rural fish ponds, construction ditches (where filled with rainwater) and other bodies of water around houses and in the community.
• Encourage fencing around rural homes in proximity to water (e.g. farmhouses).
• Encourage the use of grills over water wells.

3. Protect those at risk

• Promote “learn to swim” programs for primary school children, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Increase access to public swimming pools to promote learning to swim.
• Swimming and water-safety skills are associated with significant reductions in drowning fatalities.
• Increase awareness of the need to supervise children both in and outside the home, and establish parent groups or other childcare mechanisms in rural communities, especially around harvest times.
• Instruct children to avoid entering fast-flowing streams, and not to swim alone.
• Train lifeguards for regular deployment in supervised swimming locations.
• Harmonize internationally the flags and symbols used for beach safety.
• Educate and/or legislate against consuming alcohol while boating or around large bodies of water.
• Increase education in boat safety regulations as well as of the need for personal
  floatation devices when boating.
• All boats and larger vessels should be checked regularly for safety, including
  safety equipment, and never exceed the maximum passenger capacity for which they were designed.

4. Counter the damage

• Train the general community in resuscitation. Timely resuscitation initiated by layperson bystanders increases the survival prospects of pediatric drowning victims.

First Aid for Drowning

1. Remove the victim from the water immediately. Trained personnel such as lifeguards or paramedics may begin treatment while the patient is still in the water.
2. Place the patient on his/her back and tilt his/her head slightly back. If the patient has no pulse, begin CPR. The need for CPR is more urgent if the patient was underwater for over 30 seconds.
3. Call 911 to assist in CPR, provide oxygen equipment and administer necessary medication.
4. If the patient has a pulse but is not breathing, immediately start mouth-to-mouth (or mouth-to-nose) ventilation, one breath per three to four seconds. Rescue breathing may stimulate the victim’s respiratory center and bring immediate improvement.
5. Continuously check to see if the patient is reviving and breathing on his/her own.

Note: Don’t try to squeeze water from patient’s lungs by applying abdominal or chest pressure. The patient may have swallowed large amounts of water that could be forced from his/her stomach into respiratory passageways, worsening his/her condition.

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