Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Swimming Pool Safety

Every year thousands of children and adults drown in residential and public pools, and thousands more suffer non-fatal drowning injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2005 alone 3,585 unintentional drowning deaths occurred in the United States. That's an average of 10 drownings per day. But, as Bailee Robinson of Salt Lake City discovered, the right training can avert a pool emergency fatally. Bailee was saved because a friend knew water safety and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Statistics

• Despite its being one of the most preventable causes of accidental death, drowning remains the leading cause of death among children 14 and younger in the U.S. Among drowning victims age 5 and younger, seven out of 10 were in the care of one or both parents at the time, and of those, three of four were out of the parents' sight for five minutes or less. Every minute a person goes without oxygen increases the risk of brain damage.

CPR

• CPR Saves Lives

  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a combination of rescue breaths and chest compressions with the goal of providing oxygen the lungs and brain of a victim who is not breathing and whose heart is not beating properly. The standard is 30 compressions at the rate of 100 compressions per minute followed by two rescue breaths of one second duration and then immediately back to chest compressions.

  The American Academy of Pediatrics asserts that in the presence of a pool, an adult knowing CPR should supervise children at all times.

  A drowning victim that has a pulse but is not breathing should receive continuous rescue breaths until effective breathing resumes or emergency personnel arrive and take over.

Misconceptions

• The purpose of CPR is not to start a stopped heart. Its purpose is to circulate oxygen to vital organs in the victim's body when the heart is not functioning properly.

  "Hands-Only CPR" or "Compression-Only CPR"---CPR compressions without rescue breathing---is useful for an adult who collapses suddenly, but for drowning victims, and for children who are neither breathing nor have a pulse, rescue breathing is a necessity.

Get Training

• Hands-on practice.

  Lay-Responder CPR and Life-guarding CPR and First Aid Training is available in or near most communities. The most comprehensive training includes hands-on practice of compressions and rescue breathing with manikins. Hands-on practice gives the lay responder confidence in recognizing the emergency, taking immediate action, and performing the maneuvers of rescue breaths and chest compressions. A typical class may be completed in one full day.

  The American Red Cross will certify responders as young as 11 in Adult, Child or Infant CPR upon successful completion of the Lay-Responder or Babysitting CPR training classes.

Pool Safety

• Take steps to ensure children are safe in the presence of a residential pool. The pool should be fenced on all four sides with childproof fencing. Pools enclosed on one side by the house should only be accessible from the home through an alarm-enabled door that can only be disarmed by an adult.

  Infants and small children may drown even in very shallow water, so never leave a child unattended in a play pool or wading pool, or even a bucket containing water or other liquids.

Expert Insight

• CPR training and yearly refreshers and re-certification in a classroom or poolside setting gives the responder assurance that he will perform the skills correctly. The opportunity to learn from an instructor about disease transmission risks, breaking ribs and other potential challenges instill confidence that CPR is being executed properly.

  Automated external defibrillators (AED) analyze a heart's electrical activity and may deliver a shock to restore a proper heartbeat. Many public buildings and pools have AEDs. Training in using AEDs is available as part of CPR training through the American Red Cross and other CPR training programs.