Lesson 5: NEAR-DROWNING
FIRST AID, COMPLICATIONS, AND PREVENTION OF NEAR-DROWNING
If you must rescue the victim, make sure the scene is safe. Rescuing a victim who is caught in a current or other dangerous situation can be very dangerous to you.
OTHER FIRST AID CONSIDERATIONS IN A NEAR-DROWNING VICTIM
- Head, neck, and/or back injuries, or other injuries to the body, if the victim was in some sort of diving or other accident.
- Poisoning, depending on the fluid involved in the incident.
- Hypothermia, depending on the temperature of the fluid the victim was submerged in.
- The potential for cardiac arrest (cessation of heart function) if the victim is left unattended for a period of time.
COMPLICATIONS OF NEAR-DROWNING
- Irreversible brain damage is common in near-drowning victims who do not receive immediate first aid and advanced medical care.
- Many near-drownings occur due to diving accidents, and temporary or permanent paralysis of all or part of the body may be present, or even occur after the fact due to improper movement of the victim. Moving a victim with a head, neck, or back injury may result in further injury.
- Many respiratory complications can occur due to the damage the lungs incur during the incident. These complications may result in the need for mechanical ventilation of the victim for a few hours up to months, or longer. Respiratory complications can occur up to days after the near-drowning incident, which is why ALL victims of near-drowning should receive professional medical care as soon as possible after the incident.
PREVENTION OF NEAR-DROWNING
- Learn to swim, if you don’t know how, and when your children are old enough, make sure they know how to swim as well. But remember: just because your child knows how to swim does not mean he or she is immune to drowning. ALWAYS supervise your kids around ANY source of water.
- NEVER swim ANYWHERE alone.
- Know your limits. Don’t push yourself to keep up with swimmers who are more experienced than you.
- Learn CPR. A link to help you find a class near you is included in the reference section of this lesson.
- If you spend time around water such as lakes or oceans, make sure you understand boating safety rules, even if you don’t have a boat.
- NEVER leave children unsupervised around any source of water, even if it’s just a few inches. Children can drown quickly and quietly in a very small amount of water.
- NEVER dive into water where you’re not absolutely sure of the depth, and don’t dive into water you know is shallow.
- If you own a pool or hot tub, make sure it’s absolutely kid-proof. A cover over the pool is NOT a secure safeguard against drowning. The best defense is a locked fence around the source of water, in addition to covers and other safety measures.
- Make sure any pool your family visits is equipped with proper and effective safety measures.
- When visiting a pool, lake or ocean that has lifeguards, position yourself on the beach and in the water within sight and sound of the lifeguard.
