Near-drowning: life-saving steps.
Cervical-spine injury, trauma, and hypothermia should be considered in all sports-related near-drownings. The focus of resuscitation should be on prompt restoration of respiration, CPR, and advanced cardiac life support with cervical-spine precautions. A subset of near-drowning victims can be discharged after only 4 to 6 hours of observation. Although total drowning deaths have decreased 45% in the past 15 years, a greater emphasis on public education to prevent drowning remains in order.
Reed
W J
WJ
Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA, 92134-5000, USA.