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First Aid for Drowning I am posting this page because my four year old granddaughter, Melodie Ann, died recently in an accidental drowning. I believe that her death was caused by faulty advice given by the 911 dispatcher, and it is my sincere hope that by posting this information, Melodie will not have died in vain and can save someone else's life. Please distribute this information freely to everyone you know... save a life! ALWAYS PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ANY DROWNING VICTIM BEFORE YOU DO CPR! Did you know that by giving the Heimlich maneuver to a drowning victim, you can change their odds of dying from as high as 42% to just 3%??? Apparently a lot of people don't know this, including many emergency dispatchers, who only advise giving CPR... and since parents or bystanders are usually the first on the scene of a drowning, it is vital for them to know this information. It's true, as many as 42% of drowning victims that are given only cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) will die, while just 3% will die if they are first given the Heimlich maneuver. Remember the ABC's of first aid... Airway, Breathing, Circulation. It is absolutely vital to clear the airway of water as soon as possible, for two reasons: 1. It is very difficult to force air into lungs that are filled with fluid. If the fluid isn't removed from the airway, it's the same as if the victim was still submerged. 2. The mere presence of water in the lungs occasionally changes the chemical balance of the blood, causing the heart to stop. The water may diffuse directly into the bloodstream from the lungs, and death can occur very quickly. You can get more information on these lifesaving facts from the Heimlich Institute at www.heimlichinstitute.org or by writing them at 311 Straight, Cincinnati, OH 45219. People in the medical community are ignoring this lifesaving technique for drowning victims... don't let YOUR child or grandchild be the next victim of their ignorance! Drowning is a leading cause of death for small children, and it is called a silent killer because the victim rarely cries out or makes a sound. Death can occur within two minutes of immersion. What usually happens in a drowning is that the victim inhales water, which causes a spasm of the airway, preventing them from calling out or inhaling air or more water. ALWAYS PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ANY DROWNING VICTIM BEFORE YOU DO CPR! If you have a swimming pool, live near a swimming pool or any body of water, have children or have friends or relatives who have children, go swimming, skiing or boating, are a physician, nurse, EMT, paramedic, emergency dispatcher, or someday may just happen to be the one "in the right place at the right time", you need this information!!!! - SAVE A LIFE - ALWAYS PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ANY DROWNING VICTIM BEFORE YOU DO CPR! Kim Brown This page ONLY is NOT COPYRIGHTED, please reproduce it freely!
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