13 Nov 2024 • The new joint update from the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics details latest guidelines for resuscitation following drowning.

The recommendations are published simultaneously in the flagship, peer-reviewed journals of each organization, Circulation and Pediatrics.

Top Take-Home Messages

• Anyone removed from the water without showing signs of normal breathing or consciousness should be presumed to be in cardiac arrest.
• One important update is the recommendation to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with rescue breaths and chest compressions to all persons in cardiac arrest following drowning after removal from the water, compared to Hands-Only CPR.
• Immediate initiation of rescue breathing by trained rescuers may utilize the first means available (mouth-to-mouth, pocket mask, or bag-mask ventilation).
• Cardiac arrest following drowning is generally the result of severe hypoxemia; therefore, oxygen administration is recommended when available.
• Providing in-water rescue breathing, if the rescuer is appropriately trained and it’s safe to do so, may prevent the progression to cardiac arrest following drowning.
• The use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) after initiation of high-quality CPR may be lifesaving in cardiac arrests following drowning that present with shockable rhythms, which are a minority—especially in children.
• All individuals requiring any level of resuscitation following drowning, including those who only need rescue breaths, should be transported to a hospital for evaluation, monitoring and treatment.

Source: AHA | Click here to download