Drowning first aid, the key lies in the word “early”. The first thing to do when a drowning child is rescued from the shore is not to hastily seek medical attention or take them to the hospital, but to quickly check if the child is breathing and heartbeat. For children who still have breathing and heartbeat after being rescued, water can be poured first to help them breathe.
The method is to lie the child prone on their shoulders, with both head and feet drooping, and the rescuer running back and forth, which can promote the discharge of water from the lungs and also assist breathing. If a child’s lips turn purple or pale, their breathing slows down or stops, there is no response after stimulation, their pulse cannot be felt, and there is no sense of heartbeat in the precordial area, it is possible that their breathing and heartbeat have stopped. Artificial respiration and chest compressions should be performed immediately on site, competing against time to restore the child’s breathing and heartbeat.
The specific operation method is:
Let the child lie on their back, unbutton the neck collar, and use their hands to remove foreign objects in the mouth and throat. If there is sewage, blood clots, or vomit in the respiratory tract, they should be managed to be sucked out to make the airway unobstructed. The rescuer supports the lower jaw with one hand, fully tilting the head back to prevent the tongue from falling behind and blocking the respiratory tract. Pinch the child’s nostril with the other hand, take a deep breath, and forcefully blow in with the mouth tightly against the child’s mouth (the amount of air should not be too large to prevent alveolar rupture), lifting the child’s chest and abdomen slightly. Then, leave the mouth and relax the nostrils, and the child’s chest will automatically sink and exhale gas. Such repetition and continuous progress should not be easily interrupted or abandoned. The ratio of blowing and exhausting time is 1:2, with about 20 blowing times per minute (children may be young, the frequency may be slightly faster, but should not exceed 40 times per minute). At the same time, the rescuer first placed the left palm flat in the anterior area of the child’s heart, clenched the fist with the right hand, and hammered the back of the left hand several times to make the heart beat again. The strength depends on the size of the child, and as the child is older, it is advisable to use slightly greater strength.
Whether effective or not, chest compressions can be performed next. The rescuer should place one or both palms at the lower part of the sternum (equivalent to the middle line between the two nipples), with the elbow joint extended, and rhythmically perform appropriate compression movements towards the spine, around 80 times per minute. It is advisable to avoid excessive force to prevent complications such as rib fractures, pneumothorax, and liver rupture.
If one person is being rescued, both mouth to mouth artificial respiration and chest compressions should be performed at the same time, in a ratio of 15:2, that is, for every 15 compressions of the heart, artificial respiration should be performed twice, alternating repeatedly.
After the rescue starts, check the carotid artery pulse every 1 minute. If the carotid artery beats, the lips become bluer, or the pupils become smaller, it indicates that the rescue is effective. During the rescue, efforts should be made to contact nearby medical units for further rescue. During the transfer, chest massage and artificial respiration cannot be stopped.
