Rescuing a swimmer from a near-drowning is just half the battle. Once you get the victim to dry land, you may need to take measures that will clear the lungs of water and get the heart beating again. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation -- CPR -- may mean the difference between life and death for a swimmer.
Chest Compressions
Step 1
Call for help immediately before moving the victim. Carry him out of the water, then lay him down on stable ground. Keep the head below the feet while transporting. This pulls water out of the lower lungs and towards the mouth.
Step 2
Tap the chest and shake his shoulders to determine if he is conscious.
Step 3
Turn the victim onto her side. Roll the body as one unit while providing support to the neck if possible. Allow any water in the mouth and upper airway to drain out.
Step 4
Sweep your finger into the victim's mouth to remove any debris. Do not force your finger through the teeth. If you cannot open the teeth, skip this step. Lay him flat on his back once the mouth is clear.
Step 5
Place your pointer and index finger on the throat to feel for a carotid pulse. The fingers should rest to the side of the Adam's apple, the lump in the center of the neck. If you do not feel a pulse, reposition your fingers. Repeat this process three times if you are unable to find a pulse.
Step 6
Kneel down next to the person's head. Lay the heel of one hand between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the positioned hand and intertwine the fingers so the heel presses into the chest. Lean your body forward so your shoulders are directly above your hands.
Step 7
Press down on your hands using your upper body weight. Keep your elbows straight while applying a compression. Push until the victim's chest lowers approximately 2 inches and then lean back to allow the chest to rise again. Repeat this process for 30 compressions. If you have no CPR training, continue compressions until help arrives.
Rescue Breathing
Step 1
Place the palm of one hand on the victim's forehead. Grasp just under the chin with the fingers from your free hand. Push down on the forehead while gently lifting up on the chin. This is the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver to open the airways. Maintain this tilt while providing rescue breaths.
Step 2
Lay your ear down next to the swimmer's mouth while facing the chest. Listen and feel for air movement. Watch the chest to see if it rises. Monitor the breathing for 10 seconds.
Step 3
Pinch the nostrils closed with your fingers if you see no evidence of breathing. Lay your mouth over the victim's, covering the lips completely to create a seal. Blow twice into the mouth. The chest should rise with each rescue breath. If it does not, repeat the head-tilt maneuver and blow into the mouth two more times.
Step 4
Repeat the 30 chest compressions and then apply two more rescue breaths. Follow this pattern until the victim begins to breathe, help arrives or you become too exhausted to continue.
Tips and Warnings
- Call out for help repeatedly while performing CPR. Continue to yell for assistance until help arrives. Be specific when asking for help. Ask for someone to call 911. Verify that someone has called 911 at least once.
- As of 2010, the American Heart Association recommends that you do not attempt rescue breathing unless you are trained in CPR. Focus only are providing circulation to the body with chest compressions.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; me Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries are Preventable; 2009
- Medline Plus; Near Drowning; Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA; 2011
- BBC; First Aid Procedures: Drowning; 2009
- Family Education: Reviving Someone Who Has Drowned or Swallowed Water Read more on FamilyEducation: Reviving Someone Who Has Drowned or Swallowed Water
