Many deaths occur because of drowning. Death by drowning occurs when air cannot get into the lungs because of the entrance of a small amount of water into the lungs.
This may cause the contraction of the throat. In such cases efforts are made to remove water from the stomach of the drowned person.
Attempting to forcefully remove water from the victim’s stomach should be avoided as this may make the victim vomit and there are chances of casualty.
A casualty from drowning needs to be treated by a medical doctor, even if he/she seems to recover, because, a secondary drowning may occur in him/her at a later stage.
Water entering the lungs causes them to be irritated, and the air passages to swell several hours later—a condition known as secondary drowning.
In this particular situation, the aim of the first aid is to restore breathing, to keep the person warm and to arrange for taking him/her to hospital.
The following steps may be taken:
1. Rescue the person and get him/her to the dry land. Keep the person’s head lower than the rest of the body to reduce the risk of inhaling water.
2. Lay down the person on his/her back. Open the airway and check breathing. If required, give CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) with chest compression.
3. Treat the person for Hypothermia (low body temperature). Remove wet clothes and cover him/her with dry blanket. If the person regains full consciousness, give him/her a warm drink.
Hypothermia develops when the body temperature falls below 35° Celsius. The effects vary depending on the speed of onset and the level to which the body temperature falls.
4. Call for a doctor or ambulance to transport the person to the nearest hospital as soon as possible, even if she/he appears to have recovered fully.
Warning: Water in the lungs can increase the resistance to rescue breathes and chest compression's, so these have to be done at a slower rate.
This may cause the contraction of the throat. In such cases efforts are made to remove water from the stomach of the drowned person.
Attempting to forcefully remove water from the victim’s stomach should be avoided as this may make the victim vomit and there are chances of casualty.
A casualty from drowning needs to be treated by a medical doctor, even if he/she seems to recover, because, a secondary drowning may occur in him/her at a later stage.
Water entering the lungs causes them to be irritated, and the air passages to swell several hours later—a condition known as secondary drowning.
In this particular situation, the aim of the first aid is to restore breathing, to keep the person warm and to arrange for taking him/her to hospital.
The following steps may be taken:
1. Rescue the person and get him/her to the dry land. Keep the person’s head lower than the rest of the body to reduce the risk of inhaling water.
2. Lay down the person on his/her back. Open the airway and check breathing. If required, give CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) with chest compression.
3. Treat the person for Hypothermia (low body temperature). Remove wet clothes and cover him/her with dry blanket. If the person regains full consciousness, give him/her a warm drink.
Hypothermia develops when the body temperature falls below 35° Celsius. The effects vary depending on the speed of onset and the level to which the body temperature falls.
4. Call for a doctor or ambulance to transport the person to the nearest hospital as soon as possible, even if she/he appears to have recovered fully.
Warning: Water in the lungs can increase the resistance to rescue breathes and chest compression's, so these have to be done at a slower rate.
