Dr Rohit Sharma says there are high chances of preventing loss of life or mitigating the effects of unintentional drowning if the bystanders act immediately.
Most children between the ages of 1-4 die while in a pool due to accidental drowning. Identifying a baby in distress is the most crucial part of the rescue process as a drowning child can’t send out signs of help to the bystander.
New research shows that bystanders can make a difference even if they don’t perform CPR. Rohit Sharma-an attending physician at the emergency center,
Texas, says,” Bystanders can help a drowning child to a great extent and reduces the risk of losing life even though they don’t perform CPR.
Early attempts to save the child will help the health professionals to revive a failing heart”. A bystander can be a parent, relatives, lifeguard or a friend.
The US Centre for disease control and prevention study says that many accidental deaths due to unintentional drowning happen between 1-4.
It is one of the main reasons other than motor vehicle death in the US between 1-14 years of age.
It also states that there are 3960 drowning deaths, including adults, on an average per year in the US.
Even an infant between the ages of 1-4 will come back to life if he stays in for less than 5 minutes without CPR.
Timely help may save a person’s life and mitigate the harmful effects of drowning. Fatal drowning is when a child suffers chest congestion and dies.
Non-fatal drowning happens when a baby drowns in a pool and results in minor injury or permanent disability.
The American Institute of pediatrics conducted a virtual meeting last Sunday wherein it discussed the finding of research about accidental deaths in the US.
The bystanders who rescued the drowning children were able to prevent death up to 80%. In a recent news release,
Dr Shenoy opined that the most vital thing to save a drowning child is the drowning chain of survival.
The rescuer has to follow a series of steps to reduce risk, help the baby float, and ultimately prevent loss of life.
Till recently, the role of bystanders in rescuing a child before emergency rescue services reached the spot was unclear.
Much research shows how fast the recovery of unintentional drowning and immediate revival of the baby can be from water without CPR.
How to create a drowning chain of survival?
1. A drowning chain of survival can save many lives: The more the ability to prevent an unintentional drowning, the better.
Rescuing a child, the moment it falls in the water reduces the harmful effects of fatal drowning.
A person on the water is the best person to rescue a child effectively than a passerby running towards him to save his life.
The child should swim under adult supervision only. A child should swim if one of the parents know swimming or when a certified lifeguard is present.
Allow the child to swim only in spas or swimming pools that have fencing on all sides. Kayaking teenagers should wear a life jacket to save themselves from drowning.
2. Sense danger and offer help: The rescuer has to act proactively and sense a drowning child fast.
He has to remain calm and activate a life jacket. He should start emergency rescue services if he knows how to perform during an emergency.
If the swimmer is lying in a straight vertical position or his downward arm movement has come to a halt, understand the swimmer will drown.
The person who is about to drown will be unable to show signs of distress. Furthermore, the person identifying pain should immediately contact EMS to alleviate the risk of fatal drowning.
