First aid for drowning is most effective. Drowning

We all love to relax, especially by the sea or the river. However, holidays are not always pleasant. From childhood, we were taught that games have no place on the water, and that if you can’t swim, don’t go far. Having matured and learned to swim, we consider ourselves professional swimmers and, being firmly confident in our strengths and capabilities, we swim wherever our eyes look.

Few of us think about the consequences and dangers of a long swim or playing on the water. Misbehavior, drunk bathing, emergency situations - all this is fraught with drowning. Drowning refers to an accident involving Airways human fluid, and as a result - oxygen starvation.

Not a single person is immune from such cases. The sooner a drowning person is removed from the water, and the sooner he is given first aid, the higher will be the chance of saving his life. Everyone should be able and to know how to provide ambulance to the victim on the water. From this article, you will learn how to act if a person begins to drown in your presence.

In medical practice, there are four types of drowning. Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics.

1. Primary, wet or true. Accompanied by penetration into the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract fluid. When immersed in water, there is no loss of the respiratory instinct. As a result, the bronchi and lungs fill with water. It is characterized by the release of foam from the mouth and cyanosis of the skin.
2. Dry or asphyxial. It is accompanied by immersion under water and loss of orientation, spasm of the larynx and filling of the stomach with liquid. There is also a blockage of the respiratory tract and the development of asphyxia.
3. Fainting or syncope. It is also called pale. It is characterized by the acquisition of a pale, white-gray or bluish hue by the dermis. Death occurs due to reflex cessation of the heart and lungs. Pale drowning is caused by temperature differences, immersion in ice water.
4. Secondary. This is the result of an epileptic seizure or heart attack that suddenly occurred during drowning. The lungs are filled with water after the onset clinical death.

Algorithm of actions when rescuing a drowning person

Help for a drowning person should be provided immediately. Any delay is fraught with critical consequences, in particular death. The condition of the victim and life will depend on how competently and timely the ambulance was provided. The algorithm of actions and their sequence during drowning is divided into three stages: actions in water, on land and after an ambulance.

The first action in helping a drowning person is pulling him ashore. It is necessary to act quickly and as correctly as possible.

• Swim up to the victim from behind, grab him in a way that is safe for you (a drowning person can grab onto clothes and drag you along). The most acceptable and versatile option is towing by the hair (the method is justified if the victim has long hair).
• If a person still grabbed his hand or clothes, do not try to unclench his hands, so you will only lose time. Dive with him, in the water he will instinctively unclench his hands.
• Swim to the shore on your back, while rowing with your right hand if you are right-handed and with your left hand if you are left-handed.
• Make sure that the victim's head is above the water and that he does not swallow water.

After you have pulled the drowning person to land, proceed to the second stage. The sequence of actions is as follows.

• Lay him on his back, then free the airways from foreign substances and objects, vomit and mud, remove dentures. Do not reach into the victim's mouth with bare hands, wrap the finger with a soft material.
• Turn it over and put it on your knee with your stomach. Fluid that has entered the VRT will flow out.
• shove in oral cavity two fingers, then press on the root of the tongue. Together with the gag reflex, the whole excess fluid and the breathing process will be restored.
• If these measures fail, give artificial respiration and indirect massage hearts. In case of asphyxial drowning, resuscitation should be carried out immediately. In this case, the stage of provoking vomiting is skipped.

The third stage involves the implementation of activities that contribute to further recovery condition of the victim.

• Lay it on its side.
• Cover with a blanket or dry towel.
• Call an ambulance.
• Do not leave the patient alone for a second, monitor his condition until the doctors arrive.

With true or wet drowning, water in 70% of cases penetrates directly into the lungs. In addition to feeling the pulse, examining the pupils, warming and maintaining blood circulation (raising the legs), artificial respiration is often necessary.

In asphyxic drowning, fluid never enters the lungs. Instead, there is a spasm vocal cords. The lethal outcome is caused by untimely help and hypoxia. With this type of drowning, the first thing to do is to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The second stage is calling an ambulance and the third is warming the patient.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest during drowning are frequent phenomena. In order to restore lung function and save human life, artificial respiration and heart massage should be started without delay. The mouth-to-mouth technique is performed as follows.

• Open the victim's mouth, remove the mucus and algae (do not forget to wrap the fingers with a cloth). Wait until all liquid has drained from your mouth.
• Grasp your cheeks so that your mouth does not close, tilt your head back, and lift your chin.
• Pinch your nasal passages deep breath and breathe air into the victim's mouth. The number of repetitions is 12 per minute.
• Check your pulse.
• After some time, the breath will appear.

Heart massage should be carried out as carefully as possible, as there is a high risk of damage to the ribs.

1. Position the person on the ground.
2. Put one hand on the sternum, put the other on top, at an angle of 90 degrees.
3. Perform rhythmic chest compressions, about one per minute.
4. To restart the heart small child, pressure should be carried out with two fingers.
5. If there are several rescuers, CPR is carried out simultaneously, if there is one, then artificial respiration with heart massage must be alternated every half a minute.

Causes and signs of drowning

The World Health Organization defines drowning as a respiratory disorder caused by immersion or prolonged exposure to water. Long stay under water is fraught not only with respiratory failure, but also with asphyxia. Untimely or incorrect provision of first aid to the victim is fraught with a fatal outcome. The brain can work for a maximum of six minutes during hypoxia, which is why you should act as quickly as possible, without waiting for an ambulance.

There are several reasons why a person may drown. Not all of them and not always random. This situation may be due to:

• injuries while diving in shallow water;
• swimming in unexplored reservoirs;
• alcohol intoxication;
• emergency situations: convulsions, stroke, diabetic or hypoglycemic coma;
• inability to swim;
• negligent attitude towards children, lack of education;
• falling into whirlpools, storm.

Contrary to popular belief, it is rather difficult to recognize a drowning person, since his external holding on the water looks completely ordinary. Calm behavior is due to the inability to call for help due to impaired breathing. The maximum that a person has enough time and energy for is to inhale. How to understand that a person is drowning if he does not cry for help? It is easy to understand that the victim needs help if you are attentive.

The head of a drowning person is located in the rear direction, while the mouth is open. The head can be under water, and the mouth can be located near the surface of the water. The eyes of a drowning person are either hidden under the hair or closed. The breathing of a drowning person is frequent and deep. This is due to the desire to capture the maximum possible portion of air.

To understand that the victim was drowning, after removing him from the water, you can use the following symptoms: bloating, retrosternal pain, blue or bluish skin tone, cough, vomiting, shortness of breath.

Consequences and possible complications

Even after the patient has come to his senses, he needs qualified help. The fact is that when drowning in fresh water, death can occur even after a few hours. That is why you should keep the situation under control and not step away from the victim until the ambulance arrives. Prolonged stay in an unconscious state and without oxygen is fraught with:

• dysfunction of the brain and other internal organs and systems;
• neuralgia;
• chemical imbalance;
• permanent vegetative state.

Drowning in sea and fresh water: is there a difference?

An accident can happen both in the sea, at the rate and in the river. However, drowning in fresh water is fundamentally different from immersion in salty sea water. What is the difference?

Salt water inhalation is less dangerous and has a more reassuring prognosis. Great content salt helps to prevent the penetration of liquid into lung tissue. However, there is a thickening of the blood and there is pressure on the circulatory system. Within ten minutes, a complete cardiac arrest occurs, but this time is enough to save a person's life.

Diving into fresh water is a more complicated process. The ingress of fluid into the cells of the lungs is accompanied by their swelling and bursting. In addition, water is absorbed into the blood and makes it more liquid, which causes rupture of capillaries, disruption of cardiac activity and complete cardiac arrest. The duration of this process is a couple of minutes. Lethal outcome in fresh waters occurs much faster.

Dangers that may lie in wait for everyone

A variety of dangers can lurk in the water: algae, a storm or a strong current. And from each of these situations, in order to save lives, it is necessary to find a reasonable way out. Of course, it is difficult to think when you start to sink or when you are being sucked in by algae. But you still need to concentrate.

Quite often it happens that a person without swimming skills finds himself in the water, and not at the shore. In this case, the main thing is not to panic, but try to stay on the water until help arrives. It is necessary to lie on the water and breathe slowly and deeply. Don't try to swim, you'll just waste all your energy. When staying in cold water, a shock condition may occur. It is important to monitor your breathing and try to always stay on the water.

Strong currents often cause drowning. All you have to do is stop fighting him. It's a waste of energy. Go with the flow, and as soon as his strength decreases, turn around and swim to the shore.

Often on the way of the swimmer come across algae. Many immediately try to get rid of them. Some even dive to unravel. This is not worth doing, as algae, while you free your legs, can entangle your neck. It is correct when entangling in river or sea vegetation to make sharp repulsive shocks. You can also try rolling them by rubbing one foot against the other.

1. Don't play in the water. Do not use entertainment that involves the capture of a person.
2. If you start to sink or get entangled in seaweed, in no case do not scream. When screaming, a person takes deep breaths, which is fraught with swallowing water. The liquid, once in the blood and the upper respiratory tract, provokes a deterioration in the functioning of internal organs.
3. If you are tired, give up swimming for long distances.
4. If your leg cramps, dive in, pull on thumb legs, try to straighten it.
5. Do not swim in unexplored and unknown waters.
6. Learn to swim.
7. Don't walk on thin ice.
8. Avoid swimming while intoxicated.

Do not neglect the precautions and before you dive and swim on far distance soberly assess your capabilities. Do not brag about your skills and brag to your friends. Water games are dangerous. Take care of yourself and try to behave correctly on the water.

Drowning is a type of mechanical suffocation that occurs as a result of filling the lungs with liquid. The time and nature of death in water depends on external factors and state of the body. Approximately 70,000 people worldwide die each year from drowning. Most of the victims are young men and children.

Causes of drowning

Risk factors are alcohol intoxication, the presence of a person with heart disease, damage to the spine when diving upside down. Also, the causes of drowning can be a sharp fluctuation in temperature, fatigue, various injuries when diving.

The risk of drowning is increased in the event of a whirlpool, high speed water flow, the presence of key sources. Being calm in an emergency and not panicking can greatly reduce the risk of drowning.

Types of drowning

There are three types of drowning.

The true type of drowning is characterized by filling the airways with liquid to the smallest branches - the alveoli. In the alveolar septa, under the pressure of the fluid, the capillaries burst, and water or other fluid enters the bloodstream. As a result, there is a violation of the water and salt balance and breakdown of red blood cells.

Asphyxic type of drowning is characterized by spasm of the airways, which ultimately leads to suffocation from lack of oxygen. When water or liquid enters the respiratory tract, laryngospasm occurs, which leads to hypoxia. On the final stages By drowning, the airways relax and fluid enters the lungs.

The syncope type of drowning is characterized by the onset of death from reflex cardiac and respiratory arrest. This type of drowning happens from hypothermia or a strong emotional shock. It accounts for 10-14% of all cases of drowning.

Signs of drowning

The main symptoms and signs of drowning depend on its type.

With true drowning, there is a sharp cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes, pink foam is ejected from the respiratory tract, the veins in the neck and extremities are very swollen.

With asphyxic drowning, the skin does not have the same blue color as with true drowning. A pink, finely bubbling foam is released from the lungs of the victim.

With syncopal drowning, the skin is pale in color due to capillary spasm, such victims are also called "pale". This type of drowning has the most favorable prognosis. It is known that with syncopal drowning, even after 10 or more minutes of being under water, revival is possible.

It should be noted that the prognosis for drowning in sea ​​waters more favorable than fresh water.

Help with drowning

Help with drowning is to carry out resuscitation. It must be remembered that the sooner resuscitation measures are taken, the better the prognosis will be, and the higher the chances of the victim to recover.

The main help for drowning is to carry out artificial ventilation of the lungs and chest compressions.

Artificial respiration is desirable to carry out as early as possible, even during transportation to the shore. First, the oral cavity must be freed from foreign bodies. For this, a finger wrapped in a bandage (or any clean rag) is inserted into the mouth and all excess is removed. If spasm occurs chewing muscles, because of which it is impossible to open the mouth, then it is necessary to insert a mouth expander or any metal object.

To free the lungs from water and foam, special suction can be used. If they are not there, then it is necessary to lay the victim with his stomach down on the rescuer's knee and vigorously compress the chest. If the water does not go away within a few seconds, you need to start artificial ventilation of the lungs. To do this, the victim is laid on the ground, his head is thrown back, the rescuer puts one hand under the neck, and the other on the patient's forehead. Need to put forward lower jaw so that lower teeth stepped forward. After that, the rescuer inhales deeply and, pressing his mouth to the mouth or nose of the victim, exhales the air. When respiratory activity appears in the victim, artificial ventilation of the lungs cannot be stopped unless consciousness is restored and the breathing rhythm is disturbed.

If there is no cardiac activity, then simultaneously with artificial respiration, it is necessary to conduct an indirect heart massage. The rescuer's arms should be placed perpendicular to the patient's sternum in its lower third. Massage is performed in the form of sharp shocks with intervals of relaxation. The frequency of shocks is from 60 to 70 per minute. At proper conduct In an indirect heart massage, blood from the ventricles enters the circulatory system.

If the rescuer performs the resuscitation alone, then it is necessary to alternate the massage of the heart muscle and artificial ventilation. For 4-5 shocks, one blowing of air into the lungs should fall on the sternum.

The optimal time for resuscitation is 4-6 minutes after rescuing a person. When drowning in ice water, revival is possible even half an hour after being removed from the water.

In any case, as soon as possible, even if all vital functions, needed in without fail deliver the victim to the hospital.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Experts divide drowning into "dry" and "true". In true drowning, the lungs and airways fill with water. The vessels of the neck swell, the skin turns blue, there are abundant foamy discharges from the nose and mouth. "Dry" drowning is characterized, the skin turns pale, asphyxia appears due to blocking of the glottis.

Emergency first aid for drowning should be provided no later than six minutes from the moment of loss of consciousness. Then comes oxygen starvation brain, which leads to lethal outcome. If you want to know how to provide first aid to a drowning person, then follow these rules:

1. Swim up to the person from behind, take him under the armpits so that his head is above the water. Don't try cardiopulmonary resuscitation in water! Swim to the shore.
2. To provide the first medical care when drowning, clean the drowned person's mouth and throat from silt, mucus and sand. Proceed to manipulations to remove water from the victim's respiratory tract. Turn it over on your stomach and lay it on your leg, bent at the knee. head and top part the person's torso should hang down.
3. For medical purposes, apply pressure to the ribs and back several times to clear the airway of accumulated water.
4. If there is no breathing and pulse is performed, as well as mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. For speedy recovery circulation, vigorously rub the victim's skin with clothing or other material.

Proper first aid for drowning can save a life. This video will allow you to understand the algorithm of actions that should be performed when providing emergency first aid to a person who has drowned in salt or fresh water.

Emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation

With true drowning, first of all, it is necessary to turn the person on his stomach, and then sharply press with two fingers on the tongue in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bits root. If there is no gagging, then first aid for drowning comes down to. Rules for holding medical procedure summarized in this guide:

1. Release the victim's chest from clothing, place your palm on lower third sternum. Place the other hand on top of the palm, parallel to the surface of the chest.
2. Press on the chest with sharp and rhythmic pushes, with an approximate frequency of once per second. Every 15 pressures, 2 breaths of air should be taken into the person's mouth.
3. The provision of medical care continues until the appearance of breathing and heartbeat. After the person has been given first aid, he will need to be hospitalized. This is necessary because there is a risk of complications.

Medical Precautions

You should swim up to a drowning person from the back. Otherwise, the rescuer runs the risk of becoming a victim, and he himself will need first aid.

The drowning man will unconsciously cling to his rescuer. It should be remembered that it is very difficult to get rid of the grip of a drowning person! If you are grabbed by a drowning person, you will need to take a deep breath and dive.

If a person has lost consciousness, then you should take him by the hand, by the hair or under the armpits. In this case, you can swim, pushing off with your free hand and feet. It is advisable to keep the face of the victim above the surface of the water.

SAD STATISTICS

The expanse of water beckons with coolness and secrets of the depths, fascinates with its beauty and mystery. And at the same time, this environment is extremely dangerous and hostile to humans. Only in Moscow and the Moscow region during the swimming season, water takes 3-4 human lives every day.

According to the forecasts of the State Committee for emergencies, next year 3.5 thousand children will drown in Russia. It is this number of planned tragedies that is repeated year after year. Over the past five years, more than 63 thousand people have died on the water within Russia, more than 14 thousand of them are children under 15 years old.

Remember! When near the water, never forget about your own safety and be ready to help those in need.

STAGES OF ASSISTANCE

There are two stages of assistance with drowning. The first is the actions of the rescuer directly in the water, when the drowning person is still conscious, takes active actions and able to stand on the surface independently. In this case there is real opportunity to prevent tragedy and get off with only a "light fright." But it is this option that poses the greatest danger to the rescuer and requires him, first of all, to be able to swim, good physical training and possession of special techniques for approaching a drowning person, and most importantly, the ability to get rid of "dead" grips.

Remember! panic fear drowning - deadly danger for the lifeguard.

In the case when an already "lifeless body" is removed from the water - the victim is unconscious, and often without signs of life - the rescuer, as a rule, has no problems with his own safety, but the chances of salvation are significantly reduced. If a person has been under water for more than 5-10 minutes, he is unlikely to be brought back to life. Although in each case, the outcome will depend on the time of year, temperature and composition of the water, the characteristics of the body, and most importantly, on the type of drowning and the right tactics for providing assistance.

Remember! Success can only be hoped for with the right assistance given the type of drowning.

SIGNS OF TRUE ("BLUE") DROWNING

This type of drowning is easily identified by appearance drowned - his face and neck are blue-gray, and pinkish foam is released from his mouth and nose. The swollen vessels of the neck confirm this assumption. "Blue" drowning is most common in non-swimmer children and adults who are able to alcohol intoxication and even good swimmers at break eardrum when they suddenly lose their coordination.

In a similar way, those who fought for their lives until the last minute drown. Being under water, they continued to move actively, holding their breath as much as possible. This very quickly led to brain hypoxia and loss of consciousness. As soon as a person lost consciousness, water immediately began to enter the stomach and lungs in large quantities. This volume was quickly absorbed and passed into the bloodstream, significantly overflowing it with diluted blood.

CAUSES OF DEATH IN THE FIRST MINUTES AFTER RESCUE

1. pulmonary edema

When drowning, there is such a sharp increase in the volume of circulating blood (HYPERVOLEMIA) that even the athlete's heart is not able to cope with it. The left ventricle is not able to pump such an amount of diluted blood through itself into the aorta and literally chokes on its excess. This leads to a sharp increase in hydrodynamic pressure in the pulmonary circulation and the pulmonary vein system.

In the alveoli, the liquid part of the blood is squeezed out of the bloodstream - the plasma, which, falling into their lumen, instantly foams. A large amount of pinkish foam is released from the upper respiratory tract, which, filling the lumen of the alveoli and airways, stops gas exchange. A condition develops, which in medicine is called pulmonary edema.

Remember! Without timely provision emergency assistance pulmonary edema ends only in death.

The most reliable sign of this formidable condition is bubbling breath. This gurgling, well audible for a few steps, resembles the "bubbling" of bubbles in boiling water. It seems that something is "boiling" inside the patient.

Another symptom of pulmonary edema is frequent coughing with pinkish frothy sputum. In extremely severe cases, foam is formed so much that it begins to stand out from the mouth and nose.

The severity of the condition will be aggravated by the fact that aspiration of water will very quickly lead to mechanical asphyxia, which can only be eliminated by removing water and foam from the respiratory tract. But even in the case of successful resuscitation, the formation of a large number of ATELEKTASIS (zones of incomplete expansion or collapse of the alveoli that are not filled with air) will certainly occur. This will result in a sharp increase in the degree lung failure and hypoxia, which will persist for several days.

2. Edema of the brain

Deep hypoxia of the brain and a sharp increase in the volume of circulating blood will cause cerebral edema. This is extremely dangerous state tend to be difficult to recognize in the early stages of care, but coma, frequent vomiting and seizures worsen the prognosis.

3. SUDDEN CARDIAC ARRANGEMENT

Entry into the blood a large number water will significantly reduce its viscosity and change electrolyte balance, which will lead to gross violations heart rate and sudden cardiac arrest. Before full recovery electrolyte composition of the blood and its normal viscosity over the victim constantly hangs the threat of repeated cardiac arrest.

4. ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

In the next day after rescue, the victims most often die from acute renal failure, which develops due to massive HEMOLYSIS (destruction) of erythrocytes. Due to excessive blood thinning and a gross imbalance between the pressure inside the "plate" of the erythrocyte and the surrounding plasma, it literally explodes from the inside. FREE HEMOGLOBIN is released into the blood, which should be only inside the red blood cells. The presence of free hemoglobin in the blood leads to gross violations of kidney function: their most delicate filtration membranes of the tubules are easily damaged by giant hemoglobin molecules. Developing kidney failure.

Remember! Within 3-5 days after the rescue, there is a threat of repeated cardiac arrest, the development of pulmonary edema, cerebral edema and acute renal failure.

EMERGENCY HELP FOR TRUE DROWNING

The first thing to do is to turn the drowned person on his stomach so that his head is below the level of his pelvis. The child can be placed on his stomach on his thigh. Do not waste time determining the pupillary and corneal reflexes, as well as looking for a pulse on carotid artery. The main thing is to insert two fingers into the victim's mouth as soon as possible and remove the contents of the oral cavity in a circular motion.

After cleansing the oral cavity, press sharply on the root of the tongue to provoke a gag reflex and stimulate breathing. The presence or absence of this reflex will be the most important test for determining further tactics.

1. FIRST AID FOR PRESERVED VOMITING AND COUGH REFLEXES

If, after pressing on the root of the tongue, you hear characteristic sound"E" followed by gagging; if you saw the remnants of food eaten in the water pouring out of your mouth, then you have a living person with a preserved gag reflex. The indisputable proof of this will be the reduction of the intercostal spaces and the appearance of a cough.

Remember! In the event of a gag reflex and cough, the main task is to remove WATER from the lungs and stomach as soon as possible and thoroughly. This will avoid many terrible complications.

To do this, periodically press the root of the tongue with force for 5-10 minutes until water ceases to be released from the mouth and upper respiratory tract. (Remember that this procedure is done with the drowned person face down.)

For better discharge water from the lungs can be slapped on the back with palms, and during exhalation, with intense movements, squeeze the chest several times from the sides. After removing water from the upper respiratory tract, lungs and stomach, lay the victim on his side and try to call an ambulance.

Remember! Even if the victim feels satisfactory, he should be carried on a stretcher. No matter how prosperous his condition may seem, no matter how his relatives persuade him to let him go home, you must insist on calling an ambulance and hospitalization. Only after 3-5 days you can be sure that his life is no longer in danger.

Before the doctors arrive, do not leave the drowned person unattended for a second: every minute sudden stop hearts.

Remember! Well done first step urgent action will prevent the development of many terrible complications.

2. FIRST AID TO A VICTIMIN WITH NO SIGNS OF LIFE

If when pressing on the root of the tongue vomiting reflex never appeared, and in the fluid flowing out of the mouth you did not see the remnants of food eaten; if there is no cough or respiratory movements, then in no case should you waste time further extracting water from the drowned one, but immediately turn it over on your back, look at the reaction of the pupils to light and check the pulsation on the carotid artery. If not, start CPR immediately.

Remember! In the absence of signs of life, it is unacceptable to waste time completely removing water from the respiratory tract and stomach.

But since resuscitation of a drowned person is impossible without periodically removing water, foamy formations and mucus from the upper respiratory tract, then every 3-4 minutes you will have to interrupt artificial ventilation of the lungs and indirect heart massage, quickly turn the victim over on his stomach and remove the contents with a napkin mouth and nose. (This task will be greatly facilitated by the use of a rubber balloon, with which you can quickly suck out secretions from the upper respiratory tract.)

Remember! When drowning, resuscitation is carried out within 30-40 minutes, even if there are no signs of its effectiveness.

RENDERING ASSISTANCE AFTER RECOVERY

Even when the drowned man had a heartbeat and independent breathing, consciousness returned to him, do not fall into the euphoria that so quickly covers others. Only the first step was taken in a whole complex of measures necessary to save his life. To prevent most of the complications, immediately after the restoration of spontaneous breathing and heartbeat, it is necessary to turn the rescued person on his stomach again and try to remove water more carefully.

Everything that will be said below refers to the actions of medical professionals and may seem optional to the layman. But if you have a desire to have at least the slightest idea of ​​​​the further problems of rescuing a drowned person, to understand the reasons for the failures of medical teams and get rid of the illusions of the uninitiated, and most importantly - to take the initiative in rescuing and not make unforgivable mistakes, I recommend that you carefully read the following set of measures.

1. A PACKAGE OF MEDICAL MEASURES IN THE FIRST HOURS AFTER RESCUE

To eliminate hypoxia, it is necessary to start OXYGEN THERAPY as soon as possible - inhalation of oxygen or its mixture with air using portable oxygen devices (at the scene of the incident, their function will be successfully replaced by an oxygen pillow).

To reduce the increased volume of circulating blood, perform DEHYDRATION - REMOVING FLUID FROM THE BODY. The victim is administered intravenously large doses strong diuretics (LASIX, UREA, MANNITOL or GLUCOSE).

To reduce the likelihood of developing cerebral edema, 10 ml of 25% MAGNESIUM SULPHATE is administered intramuscularly.

For stimulation respiratory center and fast level normalization blood pressure subcutaneous administration of solutions of CARDIAMIN AND CAFFEINE is prescribed.

If the victim suffered a state of clinical death, then intravenous drip administration of alkalizing solutions: SODA solution or TRISAMINE will need to be added to this therapy.

2. TREATMENT FOR PULMONARY EDEMA

If signs of pulmonary edema appear, the victim should immediately be seated or given a position with the head end raised, tourniquets should be applied to the thighs, and then oxygen should be inhaled from oxygen bag through alcohol vapor.

These quite affordable manipulations can have an effect in stopping pulmonary edema. By giving an elevated position to the head end or seating the patient, you will ensure that most of the blood will be deposited in the lower extremities, intestines, and small pelvis. This simplest measure alone can not only alleviate his condition, but also completely eliminate pulmonary edema.

Remember! The first thing to do with bubbling breathing and the appearance foamy discharge from the respiratory tract - seat the patient as soon as possible or raise his head end.

Tourniquets on the thighs will allow for the so-called "bloodless bleeding". For greater efficiency of this method, it is desirable to attach to the stops warm heating pad or drop them into warm water and only after that put tourniquets on the upper third of the thighs. Under the influence hot water blood will rush into lower limbs, and the imposed tourniquets will prevent its return. (The tourniquets on the thighs will not be able to clamp the arteries, but will make it difficult venous return: blood will be trapped.)

Remember! The tourniquets are applied for no more than 40 minutes and are removed from the right and left legs alternately with an interval of 15-20 minutes.

Inhalation of oxygen through alcohol vapors (for this, it is enough to put a piece of cotton wool with alcohol into the mask at the level lower lip) - one of the most effective means anti-foaming in pulmonary edema. Alcohol vapor significantly reduces the surface tension of the shell of microscopic bubbles that make up the foam formed in the alveoli.

Destruction of the shells of the blisters and preventing the formation of new ones will turn the entire volume of the foamy mass into a small amount of sputum, which can be easily removed with a cough, a rubber balloon or a special apparatus for suctioning fluid from the respiratory tract - a vacuum extractor.

Remember! Defoaming should by no means be considered the only and main way in the fight against pulmonary edema. Although it is very effective, it essentially eliminates only the consequences, and not the cause of a life-threatening condition.

3. RULES OF HOSPITALIZATION

Remember! You can’t take your eyes off the patient for a moment: at any moment there may be a second stop of the heart and breathing, pulmonary or cerebral edema may develop.

Unfortunately, the lion's share of accidents on the water occurs in places where it is very difficult to call an ambulance. And then you face a whole range of intractable tasks, which are sometimes difficult to cope even with a professional. Therefore, it is my duty to try to warn you against those gross tactical errors that can no longer be corrected.

Before you decide to transport the rescued person on random transport, imagine the following situation: on the way to the hospital, somewhere on an abandoned road, the victim’s heart suddenly stopped. Even if you manage to react in time and quickly pull him out of the back seat, lay him on his back and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation, then what will you do when its effectiveness is obvious, but an independent heartbeat does not appear? Wait for a passerby or a cart driver who appears in this wilderness no more than twice a week? Saved by you once this time is doomed!

Remember! In order not to become a hostage of criminal initiative, do not try to transport the victim yourself when there is even the slightest opportunity to call the rescue service.

Only in situations where the accident occurred away from settlements and busy freeways, you will have to transport a drowned person on a randomly turned up transport. In this case, preference should be given to a bus or covered truck, in which the rescued person can be placed on the floor and take two or three escorts with him, whose help may be required at any moment.

"PALE" DROWNING

This type of drowning occurs when water has not entered the lungs and stomach. This happens when drowning in very cold or chlorinated water. In these cases irritant effect ice water in an ice hole or heavily chlorinated in a pool causes a reflex spasm of the glottis, which prevents its penetration into the lungs.

In addition, unexpected contact with cold water often leads to reflex cardiac arrest. In each of these cases, a state of clinical death develops. Skin acquire a pale gray color, without pronounced cyanosis (blue). Hence the name of this type of drowning.

The nature of the foamy secretions from the respiratory tract will also be markedly different from the copious pricing in true "blue" drowning. "Pale" drowning is very rarely accompanied by the release of foam. If a small amount of "fluffy" foam appears, then after its removal, no wet marks remain on the skin or napkin. Such foam is called "dry".

The appearance of such a foam is explained by the fact that a small amount of water that enters the oral cavity and larynx to the level of the glottis forms a fluffy air mass upon contact with saliva mucin. These secretions are easily removed with a napkin and do not interfere with the passage of air. So there is no need to take care of them. complete removal.

FEATURES OF FIRST AID FOR "PALE" DROWNING

With "pale" drowning, there is no need to remove water from the respiratory tract and stomach. Moreover, it is unacceptable to waste time on this. Immediately after removing the body from the water and establishing signs of clinical death, proceed to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The decisive factor for rescue in the cold season will be not so much the time spent under water as the delay in the start of assistance on the shore.

The paradox of revival after drowning in cold water is explained by the fact that a person in a state of clinical death finds himself in such a deep hypothermia (lowering temperature) that only science fiction writers in novels about "frozen" can dream of. In the brain, as, indeed, in the whole body, immersed in ice water, metabolic processes almost completely stop. Low temperature environment significantly delays the onset of biological death. If you read in the newspaper that they managed to save a boy who fell into the hole and was under the ice for more than an hour, this is not a journalist's fiction.

Remember! When drowning in cold water, there is every reason to count on salvation even in the case of a long stay under water.

Moreover, with successful resuscitation, one can hope for favorable course postresuscitation period, which, as a rule, is not accompanied by such terrible complications, such as pulmonary and cerebral edema, renal failure and repeated cardiac arrest, characteristic of true drowning.

After removing the drowned person from the hole, it is unacceptable to waste time transferring him to warm room o there to start providing emergency assistance. The absurdity of such an act is more than obvious: after all, first you need to revive a person, and only then take care of prevention colds.

When it is necessary to free the chest to conduct an indirect heart massage, even severe frost and icing of clothes will not stop you. This is especially true for children: their sternum, which has a cartilaginous base, is easily injured during resuscitation even with ordinary buttons.

Only after the appearance of signs of life, the victim should be transferred to heat and general warming and rubbing should be carried out there. Then it should be changed into dry clothes or wrapped in a warm blanket. The saved will need plenty of warm drink and drip injection heated plasma-substituting liquids.

Remember! After any case of drowning, the victim must be hospitalized, regardless of his condition and well-being.

something interesting

"I'm interested in this. I heard that first aid can only be provided by people who have completed special courses. Unprofessional help can be dangerous for the victim. Is this true?" Romik

The peculiarity of critical situations is that the lack of first aid is exactly like the provision of wrong help in most cases leads to the death of the victim.

First aid is the simplest expedient measures to save the health and life of the victim. It is the self-evident duty of every man to render to him, in accordance with his ability, such assistance as will speedy recovery injured or suddenly ill.

Of course, you need to know the minimum necessary to provide proper first aid. Providing the wrong first aid may not bring any results. But any person who finds himself in a situation where more than qualified assistance no one can help, must do everything possible, use all his skills in order to save the life of the victim

In places where water bodies exist, there is always a risk of drowning. In winter, fishermen may not calculate the thickness of the ice and end up in ice captivity. And in the warm season, the number of victims increases several times. Any person who is a good swimmer should know the rules for rescuing a drowning person on the water. After all, having the necessary information, you can not only help a person, but also save yourself from an accident.

You have to be able to calculate your strength, act very quickly. After all, a person's life is in your hands, and any delay is fraught with grave consequences. In the first minutes, resuscitating a drowning person is much easier. After all, water has not yet had time to get into the alveoli of the lungs.

Causes of tragic cases

While on vacation, people relax, lose the ability to think rationally and often overestimate their strength. Those who can swim try to swim far into the sea, showing their skills. Having warmed up in the sun, beachgoers go to cool off in cold water. Not everyone knows that a sudden change in temperature can cause a leg or arm to cramp. Parents were distracted and did not watch the child. Children do not yet have a sense of fear and can go deep without understanding the consequences.

In a separate group include extreme people who are chasing adrenaline, doing everything necessary for this. They swim in a storm, jump from a cliff into the water, go on a rubber boat far out to sea. People who are under the influence of alcohol often become victims of deep water. They, as the saying goes, are knee-deep in the sea.

The first signs of a drowning person

Before you jump into the water to save a drowning person, you need to make sure that the person is really drowning. How can you recognize it from the shore?

1. The position of the drowning body is usually vertical.
2. His hands are raised up, and he seems to be trying to grab something with them. But in fact, he just splashes his hands on the water.
3. The head then rises above the water, then disappears.
4. At first, a person can scream, call for help, but if there is no strength left, he is silent. Children almost always do not scream, but simply open their mouths wide in horror, trying to grab air.
5. If a person does not answer the question: “Are you all right?”, then this is a sign of trouble that has happened to him.

The first steps of the lifeguard

Before you throw to the rescue of a drowning man, you need to think about the situation. Be sure to have someone call the water rescue service and ambulance. Remove clothing as quickly as possible. If this is not possible, then you need to at least turn the pockets out. Be sure to take off your shoes. After all, water is quickly collected, which interferes with movements and pulls strongly to the bottom.

Throwing yourself into the water to save a drowning person makes sense if the rescuer can swim well. Health allows you to endure heavy loads, since a drowning person can instinctively grab, hit, pull to the bottom, drown his rescuer. You need to be prepared for such a turn of events and know how to get out of the strong hands of a desperate person.

You also need to check where it is better to start rescuing a drowning person. It is advisable to choose the closest point on the coast. It is better to run more along the shore than to swim further on the water. Also, you can not jump into the water in an unfamiliar place, as there may be pitfalls. Need to get in quickly.

When saving a person, take some kind of watercraft with you: an inflatable circle, a ball, a board. Any object that a drowning person can grab onto will come in handy. Otherwise, he will have to hold on only to you and it will be a problem to deliver him to the shore.

If you have to save a fisherman who has fallen under the ice, then you can’t approach him while standing, you need to advance while lying on the ice. You can stretch him a long stick, a net, a ladder, a solid fishing rod. You can create a chain of people lying on the ice and holding each other. That will be the safest.

What is the right way to help?

To quickly swim to a drowning person, it is better to use the crawl swimming style. You should always swim up to the victim from behind. Since the person experiencing panic state, is able to hit you, start drowning, block your movements and pose a threat. This must be remembered and guarded against.

If you can’t swim up to him from behind, then you need to dive under the person, grab him tightly under the knee of the leg. With your free hand, sharply push the other knee forward and, thus, turn the victim back to you.

When the drowning person is already with his back to you, you need to grab his armpit with your right hand right hand and firmly fixed, float to the surface of the water. You need to move to the shore on your back, supporting the person's head above the water.

How to protect yourself?

Actions when rescuing a drowning person are associated with big risk. The drowning man is scared, is in state of shock and can grab his rescuer's arms tightly. This threatens the death of a person who wants to help. You need to be able to act correctly in such situations and, without losing your mind, use force to free yourself from the deadly embrace.

Getting rid of the grip, you need to get out, press on the chin, twist your arms in reverse side but don't release it. You need to try to get out sharply, while explaining and reassuring the person with words.

How to tow a drowning person to shore?

Ways to save drowning people can be different, depending on the situation and on how much the person resists and what condition he is in. As a rule, a person is towed lying on his back or on his side. You can hold him by the head, armpits, grabbing the hand in the shoulder area, by the hair or collar, if he is in clothes.

When delivering a person to the shore, you need to carefully monitor that his head is always above the surface of the water so that it does not get into his respiratory tract. When the rescuer swims sideways, he can navigate the terrain and choose the shortest path to rescue.

If the rescuer had the opportunity to take life-saving equipment from the shore, such as a circle or a ball, located on the beach, then the drowning person should be forced to wrap his arms around them. Of course, if the person is still conscious.

Types of drowning

Actions when rescuing a drowning person depend on the type of drowning. There are three types of them.

1. White asphyxia, in another way this species is also called imaginary drowning. From the fear of water entering the lungs, a person reflexively spasms, breathing stops and the heart stops. Such a drowned person can be reanimated after 20 minutes.
2. Blue asphyxia occurs when water has entered the alveoli of the lungs. It is easy to understand this by the appearance of a person. The face, ears, lips, fingers acquire a purple skin tone. This needs to be rescued urgently, the rescuer has only 5 minutes left.
3. The next kind of drowning happens when oppression is present. nervous processes. This happens under the influence of alcohol or from hypothermia of the body. The rescue is given from 5 to 10 minutes.

First aid

When rescuing a drowning person, you must first check for breathing and heartbeat. If vital signs are present, then you need to remove wet clothes from him, put him so that his head is down or on his side. Cover with a warm blanket. If a person is able to drink, then you can give him a warm drink.

When a person is unconscious, then you need to get on one knee, put the person with his stomach on the other knee, head down. Try to clean his mouth from sand, straighten his tongue forward so that it does not sink. Water that has entered the body should be poured out. Only then should resuscitation begin. According to the rules for rescuing a drowning person, you need to do artificial respiration and chest compressions.

Resuscitation measures

For artificial respiration a person is placed on a hard surface, under the neck - a roller. In order for a person to breathe, his lungs must fill with air. To do this, the rescuer takes a deep breath, leans over the mouth of the drowned person and exhales into his airways. If a rib cage rose, it means that the air got into his lungs. This should be done every 1-2 seconds. There should be at least 30 breaths per minute.

During breaks, heart massage is done. Better when it is produced by a second person. The palms of two hands are placed on the chest of a person in the region of the heart, one on top of the other. Rhythmically and strongly pressing on the sternum. You need to do 15 clicks in 10 seconds. Continue resuscitation until the person recovers. This can happen quite for a long time. But by no means should you stop. According to statistics, most of the rescued people did not survive just because they stopped resuscitation.

Be sure to call an ambulance, because saving a drowning person on the water is a long process.