How to provide first aid to a drowning person. Drowning. First aid for drowning

Often, as a result of a frivolous attitude towards recreation on reservoirs, tragic events occur. Death as a result of suffocation resulting from water entering the respiratory tract and lungs is called drowning.

The duration of a person's stay under water, leading to the development of pathological changes in the body and death depends on many factors. The situation can be aggravated by the person’s condition and behavior: fatigue, alcohol or drug intoxication, panic, chronic diseases.

In addition, the nature and temperature of the water plays a big role. Sea water, chlorinated or containing low temperature promotes faster drowning. In such cases, you should act quickly, since the victim may not receive medical help.

What methods of assisting a drowning person exist, the correct application in practice, and how to behave if you find yourself in dangerous situation on the water, we’ll tell you in the article.

Types of drowning

Clear oral cavity from possible dirt using a finger previously wrapped in a clean scarf or napkin. Then, using energetic, but not very sharp pressure on the body, remove the liquid from the mouth and respiratory organs.

Determination of pulse and pupil reaction

Check for pulse and breathing. If a drowning person does not breathe on his own, begin artificial ventilation. If you do not feel the pulse, you need to combine it with. It is more convenient and effective to do this in pairs with another person. When the drowning person begins to breathe on his own, lay him on his side, allowing him to cough up the remaining water. Cover with a blanket or blanket and wait for professional help.

Artificial ventilation

In order to avoid getting into such a situation, follow the rules of behavior on bodies of water!

Rules of conduct on reservoirs

There are various extreme situations in which it is necessary to behave competently, but when they find themselves in them, people get lost and panic. Thus, they reduce the chances of a successful outcome.

Dangers on the water

What behavioral tactics should you follow:

1. Finding yourself in the water without special swimming skills.

The main thing in such a situation is to stay on the surface until help arrives. Lie down in the water and take slow, deep breaths. Don't try to swim, stay in place. Another way to stay on the surface and save energy is to move your legs like you would on a bicycle. At the same time, remember to be relaxed and breathe calmly. Finding yourself in cold water may result in a state of shock. During this period, try to monitor your breathing and your head should not go under water.

2. Strong current.

You shouldn't fight it; you'll only lose the strength you'll need to swim to shore. Go with the flow, soon its strength and speed will decrease. You can turn around and swim along the shoreline until you finally swim out.

3. Entangled in algae or other underwater vegetation.

The main mistake is that in an attempt to get rid of algae stuck to the feet, a person begins to randomly kick his feet, thereby becoming even more entangled in them.

By making sharp pushes, you can throw them off yourself. If this option does not work, then by rubbing one leg against the other, try to roll them down. There is no need to dive to help yourself with your hands, because... there is a chance that algae will entangle your neck. Once free, swim carefully until you reach safe place without underwater vegetation.

More details in the video

Content

Relaxing by a pond is not always pleasant. Improper behavior in water or emergencies may lead to drowning. Young children are especially susceptible to this risk, but even adults who know how to swim well can become victims of strong currents, convulsions, and whirlpools. The sooner the victim is removed from the water and given first aid for drowning (removing fluid from the respiratory tract), the higher the chance of saving a person’s life.

What is drowning

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drowning as respiratory distress caused by immersion or prolonged exposure to water. As a result, breathing problems and asphyxia may occur. If first aid to a drowning person is not provided on time, death occurs. How long can a person go without air? The brain can function for only 5-6 minutes during hypoxia, so it is necessary to act very quickly, without waiting for the ambulance team.

There are several reasons for this situation, but not all of them are accidental. Sometimes incorrect human behavior on the surface of the water leads to undesirable consequences. Key factors include:

injuries from diving in shallow water, in unexplored places;
alcohol intoxication;
emergency situations (seizures, heart attack, diabetic or hypoglycemic coma, stroke);
inability to swim;
neglect of a child (when children drown);
getting into whirlpools, storm.

Signs of drowning

The symptoms of drowning are easy to spot. The victim begins to flounder or gasps for air like a fish. Often a person uses all his energy to keep his head above water and breathe, so he cannot scream for help. Spasm may also occur vocal cords. A drowning man panics and gets lost, which reduces his chances of self-rescue. When the victim has already been pulled out of the water, the fact that he was drowning can be determined by the following symptoms:

bloating;
chest pain;
blue or bluish tint to the skin;
cough;
shortness of breath or shortness of breath;
vomiting.

Types of drownings

There are several types of drowning, each with its own characteristics. These include:

“Dry” (asphyxial) drowning. A person dives under water and loses orientation. Often a spasm of the larynx occurs, and water fills the stomach. The upper respiratory tract becomes blocked, and the drowning person begins to suffocate. Asphyxia sets in.
"Wet" (true). When immersed in water, a person does not lose his breathing instinct. The lungs and bronchi fill with fluid, foam may be released from the mouth, and cyanosis of the skin appears.
Fainting (syncope). Another name is pale drowning. The skin acquires a characteristic white, white-gray, bluish color. Death occurs as a result of a reflex cessation of the work of the lungs and heart. This often happens due to a temperature change (when a drowning person is immersed in ice water) or a blow to the surface. Fainting, loss of consciousness, arrhythmia, epilepsy, heart attack, and clinical death occur.

Rescue of a drowning man

Anyone can notice the victim, but it is important to provide first aid in a short time, because someone’s life depends on it. When on the shore, the first thing to do is call a lifeguard for help. The specialist knows exactly how to act. If he is not nearby, you can try to pull the person out yourself, but you need to remember the danger. The drowning person is in a stressful state, his coordination is impaired, so he can involuntarily cling to the rescuer, not allowing him to grab him. There is a high probability of drowning together (if they behave incorrectly in the water).

Emergency aid for drowning

When an accident occurs, you need to act quickly. If there is no professional rescuer nearby or medical worker, then first aid in case of drowning should be provided by others. The following steps should be followed:

Wrap your finger soft cloth, clean the mouth of the rescued person with it.
If there is fluid in the lungs, you need to put the person on his knee with his stomach down, lower his head, and make several blows between the shoulder blades.
If necessary, perform artificial respiration and cardiac massage. It is very important not to put pressure on chest too hard to avoid breaking ribs.
When a person wakes up, you should free him from wet clothes, wrap him in a towel, and let him warm up.

Difference between sea and fresh water for drowning

An accident can occur in various water sources (sea, river, swimming pool), but drowning in fresh water is different from immersion in a salty environment. What is the difference? Inhaling sea fluid is not as dangerous and has a better prognosis. High concentration salt prevents water from entering lung tissue. However, the blood thickens, causing pressure on the circulatory system. Complete cardiac arrest occurs within 8-10 minutes, but during this time it is possible to resuscitate a drowning person.

As for drowning in fresh water, the process is more complicated. When fluid enters the cells of the lungs, they swell and some cells burst. Fresh water can be absorbed into the blood, making it thinner. Capillaries rupture, which impairs cardiac function. Ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest occur. This whole process takes a few minutes, so death occurs much faster in fresh water.

First aid on the water

A specially trained person must be involved in rescuing a drowning person. However, it is not always nearby, or several people may drown in the water. Any vacationer who knows how to swim well can provide first aid. To save someone's life, you should use the following algorithm:

You need to gradually approach the victim from behind, dive under and cover solar plexus, taking the drowning man by the right hand.
Swim to the shore on your back, row with your right hand.
It is important to ensure that the victim's head is above the water and that he does not swallow any liquid.
On the shore, you should put the person on his stomach and provide first aid.

First aid rules

The desire to help a drowning person does not always bring benefits. Misbehavior by a third party often only makes the problem worse. For this reason, first aid for drowning must be competent. What is the mechanism of PMP:

After the person is removed from the water and covered with a blanket, symptoms of hypothermia (hypothermia) need to be checked.
Call an ambulance.
Avoid deformation of the spine or neck, do not cause damage.
Secure the cervical spine with a rolled up towel.
If the victim is not breathing, you should begin artificial respiration, heart massage

In case of true drowning

In approximately 70 percent of cases, water enters directly into the lungs, causing true or “wet” drowning. This can happen to a child or a person who cannot swim. First aid for drowning includes the following steps:

palpation of the pulse, examination of the pupils;
warming the victim;
maintaining blood circulation (raising legs, bending the body);
ventilation of the lungs using breathing apparatus;
if the person is not breathing, artificial respiration must be performed.

With asphyxial drowning

Dry drowning is somewhat atypical. The water never reaches the lungs, but instead the vocal cords spasm. Death can occur due to hypoxia. How to provide first aid to a person in this case:

perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately;
call an ambulance;
when the victim came to his senses, warm him up.

Artificial respiration and cardiac massage

In most cases of drowning, a person stops breathing. To bring him back to life, you should immediately begin active steps: perform a heart massage, perform artificial respiration. A clear sequence of actions must be followed. How to do mouth-to-mouth breathing:

The victim’s lips should be parted, mucus and algae should be removed using a finger wrapped in a cloth. Allow fluid to drain from the mouth.
Grasp your cheeks so that your mouth does not close, tilt your head back, lift your chin.
Pinch the rescued person’s nose and breathe air directly into his mouth. The process takes a split second. Number of repetitions: 12 times per minute.
Check the pulse in the neck.
After some time, the chest will rise (the lungs will begin to function).

Mouth-to-mouth breathing is often accompanied by cardiac massage. This procedure should be performed very carefully to avoid damaging the ribs. How to proceed:

Place the patient on a flat surface (floor, sand, ground).
Place one hand on the chest, cover with the other hand at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.
Apply rhythmic pressure on the body (approximately one pressure per second).
To start the baby’s heart, you should press on the chest with 2 fingers (due to the baby’s small height and weight).
If there are two rescuers, artificial respiration and cardiac massage are performed simultaneously. If there is only one rescuer, then every 30 seconds you need to alternate these two processes.

Actions after first aid

Even if a person has regained consciousness, this does not mean that he does not need medical care. You should stay with the victim, call an ambulance or seek help from a doctor. It is worth knowing that when drowning in fresh water, death can occur even after a few hours (secondary drowning), so you should keep the situation under control. If you remain unconscious and without oxygen for a long time, the following problems may occur:

disorders of the brain and internal organs;
neuralgia;
pneumonia;
chemical imbalance in the body;
permanent vegetative state.

To avoid complications, you should take care of your health as quickly as possible. A person rescued from drowning should take the following precautions:

learn to swim;
avoid swimming in drunk;
don't go too far cold water;
do not swim during a storm or in deep water;
don't walk on thin ice.

Video

Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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Drowning is a type of mechanical asphyxia (suffocation) resulting from water entering the respiratory tract.

The changes that occur in the body during drowning, in particular, the timing of death under water, depend on a number of factors: on the nature of the water (fresh, salty, chlorinated fresh water in swimming pools), on its temperature (ice, cold, warm), on the presence of impurities (silt, mud, etc.), on the state of the victim’s body at the time of drowning (overwork, excitement, alcohol intoxication, etc.).

There are three types of drowning: primary (true, or “wet”), asphyxial (“dry”) and syncope. In addition, in case of accidents, death in water may occur that is not caused by drowning (trauma, myocardial infarction, violation cerebral circulation etc.).

Primary drowning occurs most often (75-95% of all accidents in water). It involves aspiration of fluid into the respiratory tract and lungs, and then its entry into the blood. When drowning in fresh water, pronounced hemodilution and hypervolemia quickly occur, hemolysis, hypokalemia, hypoproteinemia, hyponatremia, and a decrease in the concentration of calcium and chlorine ions in the plasma develop. Severe arterial hypoxemia is characteristic. After removing the victim from the water and providing him with first aid, pulmonary edema often develops with the release of bloody foam from the respiratory tract. When drowning in sea water, which is hypertonic in relation to blood plasma, hypovolemia, hypernatremia, hypercalcemia, hyperchloremia develops, and blood thickening occurs. True drowning in sea water is characterized by the rapid development of edema with the release of white or pink, persistent, “fluffy” foam from the respiratory tract.

Asphyxial drowning occurs in 5-20% of all cases. With it, reflex laryngospasm develops and aspiration of water does not occur, but asphyxia occurs. Asphyxial drowning occurs more often in children and women, as well as when the victim gets into contaminated, chlorinated water.

At the same time, water enters the stomach in large quantities. Pulmonary edema may develop, but not hemorrhagic. develops as a result of cardiac arrest due to the victim getting into cold water (“ice shock”, “immersion syndrome”), a reflex reaction to water entering the respiratory tract or the middle ear cavity with a damaged eardrum.

Syncopal drowning is characterized by pronounced spasm of peripheral vessels. Pulmonary edema, as a rule, does not occur. The condition of victims removed from the water is largely determined by the duration of their stay under water and the type of drowning, the presence of mental trauma and cooling. In mild cases, consciousness may be preserved, but patients are agitated, trembling is noted,

frequent vomiting. With a relatively long period of true or asphyxial drowning, consciousness is confused or absent, sudden motor agitation, convulsions. The skin is cyanotic. Syncopal drowning is characterized by severe pallor of the skin. The pupils are usually dilated. Breathing is bubbling, rapid, or during a long stay under water, infrequent with the participation of auxiliary muscles. When drowning in sea water, pulmonary edema quickly increases. Severe tachycardia, sometimes extrasystole. In case of prolonged and secondary drowning, the victim can be removed from the water without signs of breathing or cardiac activity.

Complications. At true drowning and tranquilizers). If there is no consciousness, but the pulse is rhythmic, satisfactorily filled and spontaneous breathing is preserved, it is necessary to free the chest from constricting clothing, allow the ammonia vapor to breathe, and tug on the tongue to activate breathing. Victims who are unconscious, with signs of respiratory and circulatory disorders (frequent or rare pulse, rapid or rare breathing, motor agitation, cyanosis) or in the absence of spontaneous breathing, must urgently begin artificial ventilation of the lungs, without wasting time trying to remove all the fluid from the respiratory tract, as this is not feasible. The victim is placed on his back, trying to overcome trismus masticatory muscles open the mouth slightly, clean the oral cavity with a finger wrapped in gauze or a handkerchief, and begin artificial respiration. If water is released from the respiratory tract, you need to turn your head to the side and raise the opposite shoulder, press on the epigastric region with your palm or fist. Artificial respiration is carried out until full recovery consciousness. In the presence of trained medical staff and the necessary instruments, already at the prehospital stage, it is recommended to intubate the trachea as early as possible and use a portable valve of the AMBU type, which allows you to create an adjustable expiratory resistance (up to 10 - 20 cm H2O), which helps straighten the alveoli and reduce the intake of unoxygenated blood from the system pulmonary artery into the pulmonary veins. The timeliness of artificial respiration and the usefulness of its implementation determine the further course of the post-resuscitation period and its outcome. If there is no pulse in the large arteries, the heartbeat cannot be heard, the pupils are dilated, the skin is pale or cyanotic, at the same time artificial ventilation lungs (ventilation) is carried out indirect massage hearts. After recovery from the state. Body temperature is maintained within 32-33 °C (moderate hypothermia increases the resistance of the central nervous system to hypoxia). Due to the risk of developing late complications, even with minimal pathological symptoms, hospitalization and observation in a hospital for at least 24 hours are necessary. Resuscitation measures do not stop during transportation. When transporting to the hospital, clear continuity must be ensured. Therapy in a hospital setting (preferably an intensive care unit) should primarily be aimed at combating hypoxia using oxygen inhalation or oxybarotherapy, and if there is no effect, mechanical ventilation is used (100% oxygen for the first 1-2 hours) with positive expiratory pressure or high-frequency mechanical ventilation . Early correction of metabolic acidosis is indicated, antihistamines . In order to prevent acute renal failure, forced diuresis with Lasix is performed (in case of developing renal failure - extracorporeal hemodialysis). To prevent cerebral edema, local hypothermia is used, corticosteroids and barbiturates are administered; inflammatory process in the lungs - antibiotics are prescribed parenterally wide range actions. In case of true drowning in fresh water and the presence of severe cyanosis, indicating an overload of the right side of the heart, urgent bloodletting is performed. To remove hemolysis products, mannitol is administered dropwise, and to reduce hyperkalemia, a glucose solution with insulin is administered. During aspiration sea water fluid loss is compensated intravenous administration plasma replacement solutions, glucose and sodium bicarbonate. With high venous and blood pressure

ganglion blockers and diuretics are recommended; with low blood pressure - glucocorticoids, dopamine. To improve the metabolism and contractility of the myocardium, cardiac glycosides, panangin, cocarboxylase, vitamins C, group B are prescribed. If fibrillation of the ventricles of the heart occurs, defibrillation is indicated. During the rehabilitation period, relapses of severe parenchymal respiratory failure, pulmonary edema and aspiration pneumonia

, cerebral edema often occurs. Drowning can occur during sea and river disasters, when falling airship into the water, at natural disasters . But in Most often it happens when swimming in unfamiliar bodies of water, jumping into water, skating on thin ice or fishing on it. Unintentional drowning can occur even in a puddle, in shallow water, or in a bathtub. In these cases, our help is usually especially necessary.

Death from drowning due to lack of oxygen in the body usually occurs within 2-3 minutes, provided that the victim had a healthy heart. However, there are cases of instantaneous cardiac arrest; this, as a rule, occurs under the influence of a sudden cold effect during a rapid jump into water or a small amount of water entering the upper respiratory tract, and the heart reacts primarily to these factors. In drowning, it also plays a role a large number of water that penetrates from the lungs into the blood and significantly disrupts the chemical balance of the body.

Low water temperature under certain conditions of the body (tendency to antispasms, allergies to cold, etc.) causes spasm of the blood vessels of the skin and lungs, prolonged contraction of the respiratory muscles, which leads to acute disorders breathing and cardiac activity.

But there are also many accidents in sun-warmed water. Risk factors include high current speed, the presence of whirlpools, key springs that sharply change the water temperature in a limited area, storms, the possibility of a collision with floating craft, etc. A significant reduction in the risk of drowning not only in normal but also in extreme conditions is facilitated by the development of strong-willed people. qualities and hardening of the body. But the main thing is to try not to lose composure in the water.

Often people drown not only due to loss of self-control, but also due to the onset of fainting, i.e. loss of consciousness. Fainting can occur, for example, due to the fact that on a hot day, a person overheated under the sun quickly plunges into water, as a result of which either a spasm of the brain occurs, or an outflow of blood from the brain, or both. Fainting can also occur due to the stomach being overfilled with abundant and dense food, when during the digestion process blood flows away from the central nervous system V gastrointestinal tract. Fainting can also be caused by fear during an accidental fall into the water.

There are two types of drowning: true and “dry” - caused sudden stop breathing and heart.

When drowning, there are two phases of death: clinical and biological. A drowned person, even when quickly removed from the water, resembles a dead person in appearance. However, he should be considered apparently dead, in the clinical death phase, and therefore immediate measures must be taken to revive him.

First aid for a drowned man

Nature of provision emergency care the victim depends on the severity of his condition. If a person is conscious, he needs to be calmed down, take off his wet clothes, wipe his skin dry, change his clothes; if there is no consciousness, but the pulse and breathing are preserved, the victim should be allowed to breathe ammonia(in extreme cases, cologne or other strong-smelling liquid, even gasoline). Then free yourself from restrictive clothing, especially your neck and chest. To activate breathing, you can use rhythmic twitching of the tongue.

Here's something else to keep in mind. After pulling a drowning person to shore, look at the color of his face. If it is white, and there is foam on the lips and nose, then his lungs are full of water. It, of course, needs to be removed quickly. To do this, place your patient on a bent leg so that his head and torso are down and your thigh is pressing under his lower ribs. After that, press on your back until all the water flows out. And then you can do artificial respiration and indirect cardiac massage.

If the face is cyanotic, then you must first clean the oral cavity from mucus and other dirt that has got there using a handkerchief or a clean cloth wrapped around your finger. Sometimes a sharp short blow to the back is enough.

At the end of the procedure (and you should try to do it in 15-20 seconds), you can begin resuscitation measures. Place a bundle of clothing or something like that under the victim’s shoulder blades so that the head is thrown back as much as possible: this is the only way to open the airways. It is best to pull the tongue out with your hand. If the jaws are closed and the mouth cannot be reached, artificial respiration is done using the “mouth to nose” method. At the same time, perform chest compressions. While you are pumping out the drowned man, let someone call an ambulance. It makes sense to pump out for 30-40 minutes.

There is no time to waste when rescuing a drowning person, so in some cases it is possible not to pump out the water. After cleaning your mouth (preliminary measure), you must immediately begin artificial respiration. At the same time, every second counts!

In any condition of the victim, measures are taken to warm the body by rubbing, massaging the upper and lower extremities. It is advisable to do all this together.

As soon as the victim resumes breathing, he needs to be given hot tea, wrapped in a blanket and taken to a medical facility.

➨ To avoid accidents, you must follow the rules of behavior on the water: you cannot leave Children unattended, swim from boats, rafts, swim outside the designated swimming areas, swim before 1.5-2 hours after eating, while intoxicated and in state of physical and mental fatigue.

➨ It is dangerous to swim after severe overheating in the sun, especially for older people with illnesses of cardio-vascular system. Jumping into the water in an unfamiliar place, especially head down, is extremely dangerous.

➨ It is recommended to swim in the evening or in the morning when the sun is not hot. Warming up in the sun before swimming can be a big risk. With a sharp temperature change, a reflex muscle contraction may occur with a complete stop of breathing.

➨ It is not recommended to stay in the water for more than 10-15 minutes. Do not think that if the air temperature is close to 35°C, then you can swim all the time: a long stay in the water causes hypothermia of the body and, as a result, convulsions, which can lead to irreparable disaster.

➨ Don't make stupid jokes while swimming. Favorite joke - dive and pull the legs - reliable way send a person to the next world, because it is almost impossible to resist in such a situation, and the respiratory reflex is suppressed. The same applies to immersing your head in water and holding it there until bubbles appear. Bubbles may be the last...

It is prohibited to swim or climb onto navigational signs (buoys, buoys).