Drowning Isn't Noisy

From what I've read, a common refrain from many people who were in an area when there was a drowning is something like, "I didn't hear a thing." Sadly, when someone drowns, you don't hear anything. Drowning is silent. Drowning isn't like in the movies, where people wave and shout for help, saying things like, "help! I'm drowning."

People who are drowning, if they get their head above water, need that split second to grab another gulp of air - they don't have the time or energy to shout for help. They silently slide under the water.

Drowning stats are horrifying. Drownings happen in the ocean, at the lake, in rivers and creeks, and in backyard swimming pools. If there's water, there is the potential for drowning and it is all so very preventable.

The topic caught my eye earlier than usual this year when I heard a news report last night that there were already 33 reported drownings this year in the province of Quebec. That is about 10 more than normal for this time of year. An expert on the topic was interviewed on TV and he said that the spike was likely due to the early hot weather we have been receiving.

According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) in the U.S.,

• From 2005-2009, there were an average of 3,533 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) annually in the United States — about ten deaths per day. An additional 347 people died each year from drowning in boating-related incidents.
• About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
• More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments (EDs) require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with a hospitalization rate of about 6% for all unintentional injuries).  These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (e.g., permanent vegetative state).

So, what do we do?


Reducing the risk of drowning:

Playing at the pool or a beach

If you are with a child or someone with weak (or no) swimming ability, the basic rule is "an arm's length away." The non-swimmer should be no more than an arm's length away from you while in the water. You must be able to reach and grab without having to swim out to the distressed person.

Never keep your eyes off your child when he is in the water. Never. Ever. Just turning your head to chat with someone beside you puts your child in danger. If you can't see him, you won't see him going under. He's not going to tell you.

Obey the flags and the lifeguards. If it's not safe to swim, don't. Plain and simple.

Use the buddy system. If you are with a group of people, even if everyone is a swimmer, have a buddy system, where everyone has someone they will be swimming with or keeping an eye on them.

Put life jackets on non-swimming children. If you make it an everyday thing, "you're at the pool, you wear this jacket," they will see it as normal.

Don't rely on flotation devices. Yes, they are devices and they are meant to keep your child afloat and you want your nonswimmers to wear them. But they are merely tools and not a substitution for careful monitoring. Devices can break, come off, or just not work properly and you might not notice if your child's head goes under the water.

Don't allow screaming games in the water, particularly ones that have the players calling for help. If your child is screaming for play, how will you notice if the players are screaming at you for help if your child is drowning, or they're just playing?

Backyard pools

Never, ever, allow a child to swim alone. Ever. Even if she has taken swimming lessons. Someone must be able to see her while she is in the pool. Accidents happen too quickly.

If you are visiting a home with a pool and you have young children, designate an adult to always (always!) have an eye on the child or children. Of course, if it's a party or fun gathering, no one wants to have to do this all the time, so tag-team it. Have another adult resume responsibility but this must be said and acknowledged. If you are watching the children until 6:15, the person taking over must come to you and say, "OK, I am now watching the kids." Never assume that the next one up is doing it until they acknowledge they are doing it.

Secure the pool around all four sides and make off-time access very difficult. Not all residential areas have legal requirements for pool enclosures, making them an easy target for curious children or kids who want to have some fun without adult supervision. Whether your area requires four-side fencing or not, doesn't it make sense to do so? If you can't afford to have the fencing, can you really afford that pool?

Locks on the gates should be self-latching, so people don't have to remember to lock the gate. If you have an above ground pool, removing the ladder is also helpful. Many of these pools have big filters right beside them - perfect spots for climbing. Design your pool area so this can't happen. At the same time, don't leave lawn chairs and tables near the pool where they can be dragged over and used to get in.

Learn CPR. CPR is not difficult and it literally saves lives. Everyone should know CPR, but if you have a pool, it is even more important.

Any drowning is one too many. 

Public Defibrillators - Are They Helpful?

There has been a push to put automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in many public spaces, particularly arenas, gyms, schools, and just about any place where there may be physical exertion, large gatherings, or many floors that may make it difficult for EMTs to reach a patient in a timely manner. Some businesses have also purchased AEDs for their employees or guests/visitors, but are these AEDs really any good?

I thought about this last summer when I was filling in as an occupational health nurse at a major organization. There was an AED in the medical office, along with a few other life-saving pieces of equipment. Interestingly, it's not a given that a nurse knows how to  use one of the AEDs, but when I took a CPR renewal course a few years ago, the EMT graciously took a few extra moments to show me one and how it worked.

As a nurse, I've done CPR many times and I've reacted in many emergencies, but how you react in a hospital situation, where you have back up all around you, and how you react in the outside world are really two different things. I learned this many years ago when I had to help give CPR to a person who had collapsed on the street on a Halloween night, as she was taking her son out trick-or-treating. I never found out if she survived. I doubt it.

I remember how ill at ease I felt. It was as if I had forgotten all my training. Doing CPR in the street was much more difficult than doing it in the hospital. I was shocked at how ill prepared I felt and I have never forgotten it. The event happened over 25 years ago - I was pregnant with my oldest child.

As I took over the medical office for several weeks, I double checked my area and I looked to see if the AED was charged. I had to check to see if the charge light was on and if it was, we were ok. But, it occurred to me to wonder if anyone is checking the AEDs that are placed in so many public places now. We have rules about checking fire extinguishers and alarms, but are there rules for AEDs. Last week, I learned, apparently not.

According to this article from CBC, Defibrillators in public buildings need more upkeep, there is a problem with not only batteries running out, but machines not functioning properly at all. If this is the case, then it might be best not to have them at all. In my opinion, it is more dangerous to believe you have life saving equipment on hand that doesn't work rather than none at all.

AEDs do have their place. Statistics show that if CPR and an AED are used within the first three minutes following the heart stopping, there is a 75% chance of survival. So, what to do? Do you have any solutions as to how to ensure the AEDs are maintained properly?

Add on info:

In 2010, the American Heart Association updated its CPR guidelines to a much simpler way of doing things. You can read about it here: New CPR Guidelines.

A few hours of your time can save a life

First Aid and CPR – a few hours of your time can save a life.

I’m a huge proponent for people learning first aid and CPR. In fact, I think that kids shouldn’t be able to graduate from high school without CPR. I know that the curriculum is packed already, but surely we could find a way to squeeze a few hours into health or phys ed courses?

I renewed my CPR certification last week. It’s so incredibly easy now compared to when I first learned in the 70s and 80s. Back then, we had to remember different ratios depending on if you were doing CPR alone or with someone else, and depending on if it was a child or an adult you were helping. Not only that, but the mannequins that we practiced on had breathing monitors and you have to be able to do artificial respiration in a way that you could see how hard you breathed in and how well you did it.

It’s *so* different now. One thing to remember for everyone. The only difference is that the compressions for a child are not as hard as for an adult.

I used to teach first aid. I took a course offered by the Canadian Red Cross and I was a certified instructor. I loved teaching it. Most of my classes were Boy Scout and Girl Guide leaders, but I did other groups too. I used to meet so many people who would say, “I can’t take a first aid course, I panic when there’s an emergency.” I’d reply, “of course you panic! You don’t know what to do!”

It’s true. If you take a first aid course, or a CPR course, you learn several things. But the most basic and important thing is how to call for help. I used to tell my students that if all they remembered from my course a year from then was how to call for help properly, they’ve learned something. If they remembered how to secure the area, they learned something, and so on. Every little thing they learned was something that they now knew, and didn’t know before.

If someone you loved started choking in a restaurant or in a public place, wouldn't you want someone to know what to do? If *you* began showing signs and symptoms of a stroke, wouldn't you want someone to know what to do? So, maybe you can be that person for someone else.

It doesn’t take long to learn first aid and it doesn’t take long to learn CPR. I can’t think of many better ways to spend a few hours. If you never need it, that’s great. But isn’t it great to know how to do something if you do need it?

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