补充阅读 First Aid for Drowning

First Aid for DrowningDrowning is the fourth leading cause of accidental death. Each year, over 4,000 people drown and about one-third of them are children under 14 years of age. It takes very little water for a child to drown. In fact, as little as two inches of water in a bathtub, sink or shower can kill a toddler. Toilet bowls are unsafe, too, if a small child falls into one head first. Adults drown under different conditions. When the weather is hot, for example, adults are tempted to cool off with alcoholic beverages while swimming and boating. This is not a good idea. Alcohol interferes with good judgment and is a major factor in among adults drowning. Causes of Drowning: Leg or stomach cramps Loss of consciousness Playing in water too deep and too rough for ones ability to swim Not knowing how to swim Stroke Heart attack Falling through the ice while fishing, skating or snowmobiling during the winter Not wearing life preserversPreventionTo prevent a child from drowning: Never leave a child alone near water, swimming pools or any large container of water. Never turn away from an infant in a baby bathtub or one sitting in a bathtub supporting ring. A child could drown or get seriously injured in the seconds it takes to answer a phone or go to the door. Teach your child to swim. Classes for children as young as six months teach them how to kick so if they fall in the water, they can break through the water surface. Tell your children never to swim alone and never to swim too far from shore without the company of an experienced adult swimmer. Warn your children to always check the depth of water before diving in. Build a secure fence around your swimming pool and install self-closing and self-latching gates. Make sure the gates are always locked. Make sure neighbors also have high fences with locked gates around their pools. Consider using a cordless phone out-of-doors so you can call 911 right away in the event of emergency. Keep young children out of the bathroom unless supervised by an adult. Put child-proof handles on door knobs, if necessary. Take cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and water safety courses.To prevent an adult from drowning: Swim, when possible, in sight of a lifeguard. Never swim alone at the beach or in a swimming pool. Someone should be nearby in case you suffer a leg cramp or other potential emergency. Never swim alone in unknown waters. Never sit alone in a hot tub. And, do not immerse yourself in a hot tub if youve had any alcoholic drinks. You could fall asleep in the warm, relaxing water, slip under the surface and drown. Learn to swim. Take classes at your local YMCA or in adult education programs offered at city schools. If you cant swim, always wear a personal flotation device when you enter a lake, a pool or ride in a boat. Always check the depth of the water before diving. It should be at least 9 feet deep. Take a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and water safety course.Questions to AskIs the person unconscious, not breathing and has no pulse?Get Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Get the victim out of the water if you can do so safety. If you suspect the victim has injured his or her neck in a diving or other water accident. Do CPR. Start CPR in the water if safe to do so.Is the person not breathing, but has a pulse?Get Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Get the victim out of the water if you can do so safety. Do rescue breathing. Start rescue breathing in the water if it is safe to do so.Does the person have blue lips and ears and is the skin cold and pale?Get Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Get the victim out of the water if you can do so safely. Monitor for breathing and pulse. If no breathing and no pulse, do CPR. If no breathing, but there is a pulse, do rescue breathing. If victim is breathing and has a pulse, put him or her in the recovery position. This position keeps the airway clear and allows swallowed water or vomit to drain. Take cold, wet clothes off the victim and cover him or her with something warm to prevent hypothermia.Does the person in the water show these signs of near drowning? Waving, shouting for help Uneven swimming motions Inability to stay above waterGet Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Note: Saving a drowning person carries risk. Before swimming out to someone in trouble, be sure you can handle the situation. Many people drown in the brave effort of trying to save someone else because they are not well trained and have not properly thought through the risks of the situation. First try to reach the person with a pole or extended hand. If you cant reach him or her, use a life preserver or rope. If the person is further than you can reach and you decide to enter the water, approach the person carefully and from behind. Talk to the person, trying to calm him or her as you slowly move closer. Get the person to talk. Ask if everything is all right and tell him or her to do as you instruct. Grab a piece of clothing or cup one hand under the persons chin and pull the person on his or her back to shore. Tell the person to extend his or her arms away from you. Continue talking to the person to reassure him or her. Start rescue breathing right away if the person has stop