Everything is biteable at least once

Treatment begins with removing the victim from the water and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if there is no breathing or pulse.

One purpose of CPR is to bring oxygen to the lungs, heart, brain, and other organs by breathing into the victim’s mouth.

When the victim’s heart has stopped, CPR also attempts to get the heart pumping again by pressing down on the victim’s chest.

Oxygen is administered to the victim as soon as possible.

If the victim’s breathing has stopped or is otherwise impaired, emergency personnel insert a tube into the windpipe (trachea) to maintain the airway (this is called endotracheal intubation).

The victim is also checked for head, neck, and other injuries, and fluids are given intravenously.

Hypothermia victims require careful handling to protect the heart from developing abnormal rhythms.

In the emergency department, victims continue receiving oxygen until blood tests show a return to normal.

About one-third are intubated and initially need mechanical support to breathe.

Rewarming is undertaken when hypothermia is present.

Victims may arrive needing treatment for cardiac arrest or cardiac dysrhythmias.

Comatose patients present a special problem: although various treatment approaches have been tried, none have proved beneficial.

In the mildest cases, patients can be discharged from the emergency department after 4-6 hours if their blood oxygen level is normal and no signs or symptoms of near-drowning are present.

But because lung problems can arise 12 or more hours after submersion, the medical staff must first be satisfied that the patients are willing and able to seek further medical help if necessary.

Admission to a hospital for at least 24 hours for further observation and treatment is a must for patients who do not appear to recover fully in the emergency department.

Prevention

Prevention depends on educating parents, other adults, and teenagers about water safety.

Parents must realize that young children who are left in or near water without adult supervision even for a short time can easily get into trouble, not just at the beach or next to a swimming pool, but in bathtubs and around toilets, buckets, washing machines, and other household articles where water can collect.

Research on swimming pool drownings involving young children shows that the victims have usually been left unattended less than 5 minutes before the accident.

Experts consider putting up a fence around a home swimming pool an essential precaution, and estimate that 50–90% of child drownings and near-drownings could be prevented if fences were widely adopted.

The fence should be at least 5 ft (1.5 m) high and unclimbable, have a self-closing and self-locking gate, and completely surround the pool.

Pool owners—and, indeed, all other adults— should learn CPR.

Everyone should follow the rules for safe swimming and boating.

Those who have a medical condition that can cause a seizure or otherwise threaten safety in the water are advised always to swim with a partner.

People also need to be aware that alcohol and drug use substantially increase the chances of an accident.

The danger of alcohol and drug use around water requires special emphasis where teenagers are concerned. Teenagers can also benefit from CPR training and safe swimming and boating classes.