Tag Archives: Drowning

Straight, No Chaser: Quick Tips to Save a Drowning Victim

June 23, 2015Environmental, Respiratory/Lungs844-SMA-TALK, American Heart Association, Behind the Curtain, CPR, Drowning, Heimlich, Sterling Medical Advice, SterlingMedicalAdvice.com, Straight No ChaserJeffrey Sterling, MD

Can you swim? Have you ever witnessed someone drowning or almost drown? I’ve actually been rescued. It’s a truly horrifying experience. It only takes a few minutes of your time to learn how to perform in this life-threatening environment. This Straight, No Chaser discusses simple but critical you can take to save a life – even if you can’t swim. Remember, prevention and preparation give the best opportunity for survival in many circumstances.
1. If the victim is still conscious, attempt to hand him something that can be used to pull him from the water. If you’re out of handing distance, throw either a floatable object or something he can hold onto and with which he can be pulled to safety.
2. If the victim has fallen into solid ice, and you have enough individuals, consider forming a human rope, with each individual interconnected and at least two individuals safely connected back on firm land.

3. The victim should be removed from the water at the earliest opportunity. Forego inclination to perform chest compressions or rescue breathing in the water.
4. If possible, remove the victim from the water as flat (horizontal) as possible. You want to make every effort to avoid damage to the neck throughout this entire process (this actually would be additional injury to the neck; there’s a fair chance such an injury has already occurred).

5. Once victims are out of the water, NEVER assume death unless you’re a qualified medical professional. Begin CPR, as described in this Straight, No Chaser.
6. If the victim has an altered mental status, check the airway for foreign material and vomitus. Use your fingers to sweep away any material visible between the mouth and throat.
7. The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusting) is not effective in removing swallowed water. Don’t waste valuable time with it.
8. If you’ve successfully saved a drowning victim, don’t bother taking off wet clothes. It’s not worth the possible agitation to the neck, and recent medical thought suggests that cooling after certain likely types of cardiac arrest is especially beneficial in reducing brain injury and death. This consideration is much more important than any benefit to be gained from warming the patient. Sounds weird, but it’s the truth.

Regarding the above picture, yes it’s true that one can drown in inches of water. Infant safety means keeping them at arm’s length while they’re in the water.

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Straight, No Chaser: The Week in Review and Your Quick Tips

August 18, 2013Medical Treatment, Health PreventionGrief, Grief Loss and Bereavement, health, Lactose intolerance, Peptic ulcer, Primary syphilis, Rabies, Rashes, Syphilis, Ulcers, Golf injuries, Allergic reactions, Antioxidants, Bedwetting, BeeGees, Child abuse, Cocaine, CPR, Drowning, Free radicalsJeffrey Sterling, MD

Another week of knowledge and good health has come and gone at Straight, No Chaser. Here’s your Week in Review. Click on any of the underlined topics for links to the original posts.
On Sunday, we started the week reviewing rashes found on the palms and soles. The entire post was meant to raise awareness that secondary syphilis presents like this, which is an important consideration given how easily primary syphilis can be missed, how devastating tertiary syphilis is and how simple treatment is once diagnosed. Get it checked, and get it treated. Sunday also brought a tear jerker of a topic in reviewing the physical signs of child abuse. We often say knowledge is power, but in this example, knowledge could mean continued life for a victim. Review those patterns of symptoms, and commit to being involved when needed.
On Monday, we reviewed lactose intolerance, which we tend to think is funny in theory but never is if you’re the one affected. Remember it’s not the dairy that’s important to your health but the calcium it provides. There are alternatives. We also provided Quick Tips for the newborn in your family. It’s never a bad thing to have a newborn evaluated, but don’t be distraught if the answer to your questions involve a lot of reassurance. Remember, lots of answers to your questions involve things that happen underneath the diaper.
On Tuesday, we reviewed rabies. We all knew there was a reason we didn’t like bats, skunks and raccoons, but if you live in the wrong area, your household cat or dog could be just as deadly if they aren’t completely immunized against rabies. We also looked at injuries that occur from playing golf. Who’d have thought five hours of swinging a club 100 MPH could cause back problems? It’s such a peaceful game!
On Wednesday, we discussed ulcers. Amazingly, peptic ulcer disease is most commonly traceable to a bacterial infection. This is another condition where smoking and drinking (and overuse of pain medications) will come back to haunt you. Wednesday also brought a review of allergic reactions and the potential life-threatening nature of them. Because of this fact, it’s just not a good idea to wait around for things to get better on their own.
On Thursday, we discussed antioxidants and free radicals, which surprised a lot of you. Although you seemingly can’t go wrong with antioxidants you eat, taking all those expensive supplements has been shown not to provide the same level of benefit and may in fact be harmful. We also reviewed grief and bereavement. I hope many of you learned that your suffering and responses are not only normal, but they’re universal.
On Friday, we provided an update on CPR and gave you another reason to remember the BeeGees. Layperson and bystander CPR has been made so easy that you just have to take the two minutes to learn what to do. We also reviewed cocaine myths and truths, which is important because cocaine often leads to the need for CPR. I think I scared some people off with the image of big needles to treat their cocaine erections… Oh well!
On Saturday, we discussed drowning. Keep your infants at arm’s length, and remember to bring a few life-savers (preservers, ropes, etc.) when you plan on being especially adventurous in the water. We wrapped the week up discussing bedwetting, which often resolves on its own but sometimes is a symptom of another medical condition.
Thanks for your support and continued feedback. If you have topics you’d like to see discussed, please feel free to send me an email or comment.
Jeffrey E. Sterling, MD

Straight, No Chaser: Quick Tips for the Drowning Victim

August 17, 2013Trauma, Health Prevention, Medical TreatmentCardiopulmonary resuscitation, Conditions and Diseases, Drowning, First Aid, health, Public Health and Safety, United States, WaterJeffrey Sterling, MD

If the victim is still conscious, attempt to hand him something that can be used to pull him from the water. If you’re out of handing distance, throw either a floatable object or something he can hold onto and with which he can be pulled to safety.
If the victim has fallen into solid ice, and you have enough individuals, consider forming a human rope, with each individual interconnected and at least two individuals safely connected back on firm land.
The victim should be removed from the water at the earliest opportunity. Forego inclination to perform chest compressions or rescue breathing in the water.
If possible, remove the victim from the water as flat (horizontal) as possible. You want to make every effort to avoid damage to the neck throughout this entire process (This actually would be additional injury to the neck; there’s a fair chance such an injury has already occurred.).
Once victims are out of the water, NEVER assume death unless you’re a qualified medical professional. Begin CPR, as described in yesterday’s post (Click here to review.).
If the victim has an altered mental status, check the airway for foreign material and vomitus. Use your fingers to sweep away any material visible between the mouth and throat.
The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusting) is not effective in removing swallowed water. Don’t waste valuable time with it.
If you’ve successfully saved a drowning victim, don’t bother taking off wet clothes. It’s not worth the possible agitation to the neck, and recent medical thought suggests that cooling after certain likely types of cardiac arrest is especially beneficial in reducing brain injury and death. This consideration is much more important than any benefit to be gained from warming the patient. Sounds weird, but it’s the truth.

Regarding the lead picture, yes it’s true that one can drown in inches of water. Infant safety means keeping them at arm’s length while they’re in the water.