title: Assessing the efficacy of rescue equipment in lifeguard resuscitation efforts for drowning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The whole drowning process usually occurs within seconds to a few minutes. An early rescue may stop and/or prevent most medical complications. Fins, rescue tube, and rescue board (RB) are the equipment most frequently used by lifeguards. Our objective was to compare, in a water rescue quasiexperimental trial, these different pieces of rescue equipment to define the safest and with the lower rescue time as well as to assess their effects on the lifeguards' physiological state and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled trial was conducted to study the time effect of 4 different rescue techniques and assess CPR quality, along with the physiological effects of each rescue technique (blood lactate and subjective Borg's scale effort perception) on 35 lifeguards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the final sample subjects (n = 23), a total of 92 rescues were completed. Total water rescue time was longer without equipment (NE). The total rescue time was significantly lower using RB (P < .001). Similar good quality of CPR before and after water rescue was observed in all trials (P > .05), although correct ventilations represented less than 50% of total in all trials. Blood lactate increased after all rescues. The subjective effort Borg's scale showed significantly less effort using RB vs without equipment, fins, and fins and rescue tube.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of propelling and/or floating equipment saves precious time with repercussions in the reduction of drowning mortality and morbidity. The RB offers a significant advantage. Lifeguards need more CPR training, especially considering the importance of efficient ventilations for drowning victims.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education and Sport Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain; CLINURSID Research Group, Departamento de Enfermería, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; IDRA, International Drowning Research Alliance, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barcala-Furelos
authors.affiliation: IDRA, International Drowning Research Alliance, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Brazilian Lifesaving Society (SOBRASA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Hospital Municipal Miguel Couto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: david@szpilman.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Szpilman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Activity, University of La Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palacios-Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education and Sport Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain; Faculty of Health Sciences, European Atlantic University, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Costas-Veiga
authors.affiliation: CLINURSID Research Group, Departamento de Enfermería, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Faculty of Health Sciences, European Atlantic University, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abelairas-Gomez
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, European Atlantic University, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bores-Cerezal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: López-García
authors.affiliation: CLINURSID Research Group, Departamento de Enfermería, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Pediatric Area, Pediatric Emergency and Critical Care Division, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Nuñez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060731:Emergency Responders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D015701:Near Drowning / Q000628:therapy*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000379:methods*; D012449:Safety; D013030:Spain; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome