Drowning victim?

Question

should one perform the original cpr on a personal who nearly drowned or should one use the Heimlich Maneuver for Drowning if you havent heard of it go here http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=16745
In the cpr class I took they said to use cpr(duh!), but reading this article is Heimlich Maneuver for Drowning a better choice

Answer 1

American Red Cross DOES NOT teach doing CPR for drowning. It teaches that you:

1. CHECK the scene for safety
2. CHECK for a victim and their level of consciousness
3. CALL 911 if the victim is unconscious and the call does not delay care
4. CARE for the conditions found.
5. Check the breathing.
6. Since they are not breathing, give 2 Rescue Breaths
7. Because there is water in the lungs, the breaths will not go in.
8. Retilt the head. it still will not work.
9. Perform 15 Chest Compressions (which will evacuate the lungs), then check the mouth. Clear anything found.
10. Try Rescue Breathing again. If it works, give 2 Breaths and check the pulse. If not, go back to #9.

The Chest Compression Method taught by the Red Cross is used because studies have shown that the Chest Compression, Back Blows, and Abdominal Thrust (Heimlich) techniques are all about equally effective in clearing blockages.

The study showed that no one technique was 100% effective in all cases, and recommended alternating methods. Lay responders will mostly lean the Chest Compression for unconscious people because it is better site management. (They will start to use Abdominal and Back for conscious victims).

Answer 2

Hi. You always perform CPR to a non-pulse victim, including "nearly drowning victim". The Heimlich Maneuver isn't a better choice for two reasons: First, the water is not a "plug" in the airway, it is on the lungs. The Heimlich Maneuver is to remove a stranger body with air pressure. Second, if the heart stop, will be stop with water or without it, in this case. Remove the water, one time the heart stop, don't make the hear start to beat again. The victim needs CPR if no pulse is palpate.

Answer 3

From the classes I've taken, CPR would be the best method to revive the person in a near-drowning. Because the water would be in the lungs at this point, the heimlich would not really be useful as this maneuver forces objects out of the airway. The force of the heimlich would not be great enough to remove the water in the lungs.

Answer 4

Your CPR instructor should have told you NEVER use CPR on someone unless they are not moving air and have no heart beat. The reason they teach CPR step by step is because you never proceed to the next step until the step you are on now is resolved. Always do "A" before you ever check for "B". Always make sure "B" is happening, or make it happen for them before you check for " C". IF there is no heart beat after checking "C" (circulation; pulse) then you begin compressions.

Near drowning usually is resolved after the airway is opened and breathing is resolved. Good Luck

Answer 5

One of the earlier treatments for drowning was to massage the water out of the person, a mechanism similar to the Heimlich, just long and drawn out at a time when the person doesn't have time. Do what you were trained to do.

Answer 6

CPR is not used unless the heart has stopped. Usually what is needed is rescue breathing.

Answer 7

don't do cpr if the person has a pulse.
why didn't they post instructions on the page? just go find the booklet.