Misplaced Pages

#512487

61-467: With around 560,000 members, organised in approximately 2,100 local groups, the DLRG is the largest voluntary water rescue organization in the world. More than one million regular donors support the work of the DLRG. The most urgent goal of the DLRG is the creation and promotion of all activities used to fight drowning . Additional tasks are: The DLRG trains interested members as qualified technical personnel in

122-412: A death before submersion. Aspirated water that reaches the alveoli destroys the pulmonary surfactant , which causes pulmonary edema and decreased lung compliance, compromising oxygenation in affected parts of the lungs. This is associated with metabolic acidosis, secondary fluid, and electrolyte shifts. During alveolar fluid exchange, diatoms present in the water may pass through the alveolar wall into

183-477: A hard floor and the user can fall. According to the Health and Safety Executive, employers who implement suitable measures to prevent accidents in the workplace could reap a number of benefits. As well as reducing the number of injuries at work, managers could also: During the 2015 shooting of the movie Resident Evil: The Final Chapter , stuntwoman Olivia Jackson had her arm amputated after her motorbike crashed to

244-515: A helicopter. Less than 6% of people rescued by lifeguards need medical attention, and only 0.5% need CPR. The statistics worsen when rescues are made by bystanders . If lifeguards or paramedics are unable to be called, bystanders must rescue the drowning person. It can be done using vehicles that the victim can reach, as row-boats or even modern robots, when they navigate across the water. Industrial accidents A work accident , workplace accident , occupational accident , or accident at work

305-485: A large extent determines the survival and long term consequences of drowning, In the case of children, most survivors are found within 2 minutes of immersion, and most fatalities are found after 10 minutes or more. If water enters the airways of a conscious person, the person will try to cough up the water or swallow it, often inhaling more water involuntarily. When water enters the larynx or trachea, both conscious and unconscious people experience laryngospasm , in which

366-407: A massive increase in blood pressure and cardiac strain leading to cardiac arrest , and panic ), another 50% die within 15 – 30 minutes from cold incapacitation (loss of use and control of limbs and hands for swimming or gripping, as the body 'protectively' shuts down the peripheral muscles of the limbs to protect its core), and exhaustion and unconsciousness cause drowning, claiming the rest within

427-604: A paper cut or scratch, others can have more serious – and potentially fatal – consequences. For instance, there are some industries in which individuals are more exposed to occupational hazards than others, such as the construction trade. This had the highest rate of fatal injuries out of all other industry sections in 2011/12. During this period, falls accounted for 51% of construction injuries resulting in death, demonstrating that builders are more likely to fall from height than those who work in less dangerous locations, such as an office. An independent watchdog –

488-427: A person spends too much time with their nose and mouth submerged in a liquid to the point of being unable to breathe. If this is not followed by an exit to the surface, low oxygen levels and excess carbon dioxide in the blood trigger a neurological state of breathing emergency, which results in increased physical distress and occasional contractions of the vocal folds . Significant amounts of water usually only enter

549-404: A possible cause of death if the body was recovered from a body of water, near a fluid that could plausibly have caused drowning, or found with the head immersed in a fluid. A medical diagnosis of death by drowning is generally made after other possible causes of death have been excluded by a complete autopsy and toxicology tests. Indications of drowning are unambiguous and may include bloody froth in

610-411: A reason for drowning or the clinical cause of death for those who drown in cold water. Upon submersion into cold water, remaining calm and preventing loss of body heat is paramount. While awaiting rescue, swimming or treading water should be limited to conserve energy, and the person should attempt to remove as much of the body from the water as possible; attaching oneself to a buoyant object can improve

671-454: A result of an exposure over a period of time to risk factors arising from work activity" (e.g., miner's lung ). Incidents that fall within the definition of occupational accidents include cases of acute poisoning , attacks by humans and animals, insects etc., slips and falls on pavements or staircases, traffic collisions , and accidents on board means of transportation in the course of work, accidents in airports, stations and so on. There

SECTION 10

#1732855464513

732-458: A serious injury or death. Many behavioral and physical factors are related to drowning: Population groups at risk in the US are the old and young. Some additional causes of drowning can also happen during freediving activities: Drowning is split into four stages: People who do not know how to swim can struggle on the surface of the water for only 20 to 60 seconds before being submerged. In

793-726: A similar time. A notable example of this occurred during the sinking of the Titanic , in which most people who entered the −2 °C (28 °F) water died within 15–30 minutes. [S]omething that almost no one in the maritime industry understands. That includes mariners [and] even many (most) rescue professionals: It is impossible to die from hypothermia in cold water unless you are wearing flotation, because without flotation – you won't live long enough to become hypothermic. Submersion into cold water can induce cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rates) in healthy people, sometimes causing strong swimmers to drown. The physiological effects caused by

854-501: A vehicle or moving object , were the reasons for the majority of fatalities to British workers. It was also revealed that slips, trips or falls were responsible for more than 50% of serious injuries to employees. Furthermore, the majority of incidents that resulted in employees taking more than three days off work – or affected their ability to perform their usual duties over this period – were caused by handling accidents. Although some accidents at work can have minor effects,

915-479: Is a "discrete occurrence in the course of work " leading to physical or mental occupational injury . According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 337 million accidents happen on the job each year, resulting, together with occupational diseases , in more than 2.3 million deaths annually. The phrase "in the course of work" can include work-related accidents happening off

976-755: Is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incident. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer assistance. After successful resuscitation , drowning victims may experience breathing problems, confusion, or unconsciousness . Occasionally, victims may not begin experiencing these symptoms until several hours after they are rescued. An incident of drowning can also cause further complications for victims due to low body temperature , aspiration , or acute respiratory distress syndrome (respiratory failure from lung inflammation). Drowning

1037-693: Is automatic and allows both a conscious and an unconscious person to survive longer without oxygen underwater than in a comparable situation on dry land. The exact mechanism for this effect has been debated and may be a result of brain cooling similar to the protective effects seen in people who are treated with deep hypothermia . The actual cause of death in cold or very cold water is usually lethal bodily reactions to increased heat loss and to freezing water, rather than any loss of core body temperature. Of those who die after plunging into freezing seas, around 20% die within 2 minutes from cold shock (uncontrolled rapid breathing and gasping causing water inhalation,

1098-654: Is defined as an accident which leads to the death of a victim. The time within which the death may occur varies among countries: in Netherlands an accident is registered as fatal if the victim dies during the same day that the accident happened, in Germany if death came within 30 days, while Belgium , France and Greece set no time limit. Where the accidents involve multiple fatalities, they are often referred to as industrial disasters . Although many workplace accidents have relatively minor repercussions, which could result in just

1159-401: Is more likely to happen when spending extended periods of time near large bodies of water. Risk factors for drowning include alcohol use, drug use, epilepsy , minimal swim training or a complete lack of training, and, in the case of children, a lack of supervision. Common drowning locations include natural and man-made bodies of water, bathtubs , and swimming pools . Drowning occurs when

1220-421: Is much greater in drowning than from other origins. Lung density may be higher than normal, but normal weights are possible after cardiac arrest or vasovagal reflex. The lungs may be overinflated and waterlogged, filling the thoracic cavity. The surface may have a marbled appearance, with darker areas associated with collapsed alveoli interspersed with paler aerated areas. Fluid trapped in the lower airways may block

1281-507: Is no consensus as to whether commuting accidents (i.e. accidents on the way to work and while returning home after work) should be considered to be work accidents. The ESAW methodology excludes them; the ILO includes them in its conventions concerning health & safety at work , although it lists them as a separate category of accidents; and some countries (e.g., Greece ) do not distinguish them from other work accidents. A fatal accident at work

SECTION 20

#1732855464513

1342-413: Is possible, they should assist from a safe ground position, such as a boat, a pier, or any patch of land near the victim. The fastest way to assist is to throw a buoyant object (such as a lifebuoy or a broad branch). It is very important to avoid aiming directly at the victim, since even the lightest lifebuoys weight over 2 kilograms, and can stun, injure or even render a person unconscious if they impact on

1403-438: Is short-lived. Submerging the face in water cooler than about 21 °C (70 °F) triggers the diving reflex , common to air-breathing vertebrates, especially marine mammals such as whales and seals . This reflex protects the body by putting it into energy-saving mode to maximise the time it can stay underwater. The strength of this reflex is greater in colder water and has three principal effects: The reflex action

1464-433: Is significantly shorter than that in air due to the cold shock response . The breath-hold breakpoint can be suppressed or delayed, either intentionally or unintentionally. Hyperventilation before any dive, deep or shallow, flushes out carbon dioxide in the blood resulting in a dive commencing with an abnormally low carbon dioxide level: a potentially dangerous condition known as hypocapnia . The level of carbon dioxide in

1525-404: Is the safety climate or safety culture of an organization. Safety culture concerns how workplace safety is managed, consisting of the shared attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values among employees. Faulty equipment can also cause serious personal injuries, a common example being accidents from faulty ladders. If the rubber feet are absent, the base of the aluminium stile can slip suddenly on

1586-403: Is therefore lost quickly in water compared to air, even in 'cool' swimming waters around 70 °F (~20 °C). A water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) can lead to death in as little as one hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes. This is because cold water can have other lethal effects on the body. Hence, hypothermia is not usually

1647-587: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – aims to reduce the number of work-related fatalities and injuries within Great Britain, publishing statistics that show the different – and most common – types of reported workplace injuries across a range of sectors. For example, the HSE reported that, between 2011 and 2012, incidents such as falls from height, becoming trapped by a falling structure, and being struck by

1708-408: The larynx , and water can then enter the lungs, causing a "wet drowning". However, about 7–10% of people maintain this seal until cardiac arrest . This has been called " dry drowning ", as no water enters the lungs. In forensic pathology , water in the lungs indicates that the person was still alive at the point of submersion. An absence of water in the lungs may be either a dry drowning or indicates

1769-420: The lungs . Even small quantities can cause the extrusion of liquid into the lungs ( pulmonary edema ) over the following hours; this reduces the ability to exchange the air and can lead to a person "drowning in their own body fluid". Vomit and certain poisonous vapors or gases (as in chemical warfare ) can have a similar effect. The reaction can take place up to 72 hours after the initial incident and may lead to

1830-412: The vocal cords constrict, sealing the airway . This prevents water from entering the lungs . Because of this laryngospasm, in the initial phase of drowning, water enters the stomach, and very little water enters the lungs. Though laryngospasm prevents water from entering the lungs, it also interferes with breathing. In most people, the laryngospasm relaxes sometime after unconsciousness due to hypoxia in

1891-517: The HSE statistics revealed that more than 27 million working days were lost between 2011 and 2012 due to occupational illness or personal injury , proving that these incidents can have serious repercussions. In 2019, construction employment climbed to 11.4 million workers. There are online guides that provide information on how to deal with an injury at work. In 2019, construction employment climbed to 11.4 million workers. Accidents arise from unsafe behavior and/or unsafe conditions. An important factor

German Life Saving Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-526: The airway and providing five breaths of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation . Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is recommended for a person whose heart has stopped beating and has been underwater for less than an hour. A major contributor to drowning is the inability to swim. Other contributing factors include the state of the water itself, distance from a solid footing, physical impairment, or prior loss of consciousness. Anxiety brought on by fear of drowning or water itself can lead to exhaustion, thus increasing

2013-433: The airway, water in the stomach, cerebral edema and petrous or mastoid hemorrhage. Some evidence of immersion may be unrelated to the cause of death, and lacerations and abrasions may have occurred before or after immersion or death. Diatoms should normally never be present in human tissue unless water was aspirated. Their presence in tissues such as bone marrow suggests drowning; however, they are present in soil and

2074-503: The alveolar-capillary membrane. Still, there is no clinical difference between salt and freshwater drowning. Once someone has reached definitive care, supportive care strategies such as mechanical ventilation can help to reduce the complications of ALI/ARDS. Whether a person drowns in freshwater or salt water makes no difference in respiratory management or its outcome. People who drown in freshwater may experience worse hypoxemia early in their treatment; however, this initial difference

2135-407: The atmosphere, and samples may be contaminated. An absence of diatoms does not rule out drowning, as they are not always present in water. A match of diatom shells to those found in the water may provide supporting evidence of the place of death. Drowning in saltwater can leave different concentrations of sodium and chloride ions in the left and right chambers of the heart, but they will dissipate if

2196-473: The best conditions, a person was resuscitated after 65 minutes underwater. ‹The template How-to is being considered for merging .›   When a person is drowning or a swimmer becomes missing, a fast water rescue may become necessary, to take that person out of the water as soon as possible. Drowning is not necessarily violent or loud, with splashing and cries; it can be silent. Rescuers should avoid endangering themselves unnecessarily; whenever it

2257-408: The blood after hyperventilation may then be insufficient to trigger the breathing reflex later in the dive. Following this, a blackout may occur before the diver feels an urgent need to breathe. This can occur at any depth and is common in distance breath-hold divers in swimming pools . Both deep and distance free divers often use hyperventilation to flush out carbon dioxide from the lungs to suppress

2318-408: The bloodstream and reduces the time until unconsciousness. The person can voluntarily hold their breath for some time, but the breathing reflex will increase until the person tries to breathe, even when submerged. The breathing reflex in the human body is weakly related to the amount of oxygen in the blood but strongly related to the amount of carbon dioxide (see Hypercapnia ). During an apnea,

2379-583: The bloodstream. Hypercapnia and hypoxia both contribute to laryngeal relaxation, after which the airway is open through the trachea. There is also bronchospasm and mucous production in the bronchi associated with laryngospasm, and these may prevent water entry at terminal relaxation. The hypoxemia and acidosis caused by asphyxia in drowning affect various organs. There can be central nervous system damage, cardiac arrhythmia, pulmonary injury, reperfusion injury, and multiple-organ secondary injury with prolonged tissue hypoxia. A lack of oxygen or chemical changes in

2440-423: The breathing reflex for longer. It is important not to mistake this for an attempt to increase the body's oxygen store. The body at rest is fully oxygenated by normal breathing and cannot take on any more. Breath-holding in water should always be supervised by a second person, as by hyperventilating, one increases the risk of shallow water blackout because insufficient carbon dioxide levels in the blood fail to trigger

2501-399: The breathing reflex. A continued lack of oxygen in the brain, hypoxia , will quickly render a person unconscious, usually around a blood partial pressure of oxygen of 25–30 mmHg. An unconscious person rescued with an airway still sealed from laryngospasm stands a good chance of a full recovery. Artificial respiration is also much more effective without water in the lungs. At this point,

German Life Saving Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-490: The capillaries to be carried to internal organs. The presence of these diatoms may be diagnostic of drowning. Of people who have survived drowning, almost one-third will experience complications such as acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ALI/ARDS can be triggered by pneumonia, sepsis, and water aspiration . These conditions are life-threatening disorders that can result in death if not treated promptly. During drowning, aspirated water enters

2623-785: The chance of survival should unconsciousness occur. Hypothermia (and cardiac arrest) presents a risk for survivors of immersion. This risk increases if the survivor—feeling well again—tries to get up and move, not realizing their core body temperature is still very low and will take a long time to recover. Most people who experience cold-water drowning do not develop hypothermia quickly enough to decrease cerebral metabolism before ischemia and irreversible hypoxia occur. The neuroprotective effects appear to require water temperatures below about 5 °C (41 °F). The World Health Organization in 2005 defined drowning as "the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid." This definition does not imply death or even

2684-689: The chances of drowning. Approximately 90% of drownings take place in freshwater (rivers, lakes, and a relatively small number of swimming pools ); the remaining 10% take place in seawater . Drownings in other fluids are rare and often related to industrial accidents . In New Zealand's early colonial history, so many settlers died while trying to cross the rivers that drowning was called "the New Zealand death". People have drowned in as little as 30 mm (1.2 in) of water while lying face down. Death can occur due to complications following an initial drowning. Inhaled fluid can act as an irritant inside

2745-543: The company's premises, and can include accidents caused by third parties, according to Eurostat . The definition of work accident includes accidents occurring "while engaged in an economic activity, or at work, or carrying on the business of the employer" according to the ILO. The phrase "physical or mental harm" means any injury , disease , or death. Occupational accidents differ from occupational diseases as accidents are unexpected and unplanned occurrences (e.g., mine collapse ), while occupational diseases are "contracted as

2806-402: The deterioration of brain cells, causing first brain damage and eventually brain death after six minutes from which recovery is generally considered impossible. Hypothermia of the central nervous system may prolong this. In cold temperatures below 6 °C, the brain may be cooled sufficiently to allow for a survival time of more than an hour. The extent of central nervous system injury to

2867-454: The diving reflex conflict with the body's cold shock response, which includes a gasp and uncontrollable hyperventilation leading to aspiration of water. While breath-holding triggers a slower heart rate , cold shock activates tachycardia , an increase in heart rate. It is thought that this conflict of these nervous system responses may account for the arrhythmias of cold water submersion. Heat transfers very well into water, and body heat

2928-542: The early stages of drowning, a person holds their breath to prevent water from entering their lungs. When this is no longer possible, a small amount of water entering the trachea causes a muscular spasm that seals the airway and prevents further passage of water. If the process is not interrupted, loss of consciousness due to hypoxia is followed by cardiac arrest. A conscious person will hold their breath (see Apnea ) and will try to access air, often resulting in panic , including rapid body movement. This uses up more oxygen in

2989-650: The following ranges: On 28 July 1912, a pier in Binz on the island Rügen , Germany, collapsed under the load of 1,000 people waiting for the cruise steamer Kronprinz Wilhelm . Sailors of the German navy were able to save most people, but 16 people died because they could not swim, including two children. This catastrophe led to the foundation of the "Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG)" ( German lifesaving organization ) on 19 October 1913 in Leipzig . Drowning Drowning

3050-476: The following: The concept of water safety involves the procedures and policies that are directed to prevent people from drowning or from becoming injured in water. The time a person can safely stay underwater depends on many factors, including energy consumption, number of prior breaths, physical condition, and age. An average person can last between one and three minutes before falling unconscious and around ten minutes before dying. In an unusual case with

3111-452: The head. Another way to assist is to reach the victim with an object to grasp, and then pull both of them out of the water. Some examples include: ropes, oars, broad branches, poles, one's own arm, a hand, etc. This carries the risk of the rescuer being pulled into the water by the victim, so the rescuer must take a firm stand, lying down, as well as securing to some stable point. Any rescue with vehicles would have to avoid trampling or damaging

SECTION 50

#1732855464513

3172-450: The lung tissues, causes a reduction in pulmonary surfactant , obstructs ventilation, and triggers a release of inflammatory mediators which results in hypoxia . Specifically, upon reaching the alveoli, hypotonic liquid found in freshwater dilutes pulmonary surfactant, destroying the substance. Comparatively, aspiration of hypertonic seawater draws liquid from the plasma into the alveoli and similarly causes damage to surfactant by disrupting

3233-857: The lungs later in the process. While the word "drowning" is commonly associated with fatal results, drowning may be classified into three different types: drowning that results in death, drowning that results in long-lasting health problems, and drowning that results in no health complications. Sometimes the term "near-drowning" is used in the latter cases. Among children who survive, health problems occur in about 7.5% of cases. Steps to prevent drowning include teaching children and adults to swim and to recognise unsafe water conditions, never swimming alone, use of personal flotation devices on boats and when swimming in unfavourable conditions, limiting or removing access to water (such as with fencing of swimming pools), and exercising appropriate supervision. Treatment of victims who are not breathing should begin with opening

3294-399: The lungs may cause the heart to stop beating. This cardiac arrest stops the flow of blood and thus stops the transport of oxygen to the brain. Cardiac arrest used to be the traditional point of death, but at this point, there is still a chance of recovery. The brain cannot survive long without oxygen, and the continued lack of oxygen in the blood, combined with the cardiac arrest, will lead to

3355-455: The most difficult in forensic medicine. External examination and autopsy findings are often non-specific, and the available laboratory tests are often inconclusive or controversial. The purpose of an investigation is to distinguish whether the death was due to immersion or whether the body was immersed postmortem. The mechanism in acute drowning is hypoxemia and irreversible cerebral anoxia due to submersion in liquid. Drowning would be considered

3416-402: The necessity for medical treatment after removing the cause, nor that any fluid enters the lungs. The WHO classifies this as death , morbidity , and no morbidity. There was also consensus that the terms wet, dry, active, passive, silent, and secondary drowning should no longer be used. Experts differentiate between distress and drowning. Forensic diagnosis of drowning is considered one of

3477-544: The oxygen in the body is used by the cells and excreted as carbon dioxide. Thus, the level of oxygen in the blood decreases, and the level of carbon dioxide increases. Increasing carbon dioxide levels lead to a stronger and stronger breathing reflex, up to the breath-hold breakpoint , at which the person can no longer voluntarily hold their breath. This typically occurs at an arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 55 mm Hg but may differ significantly between people. When submerged into cold water, breath-holding time

3538-407: The passive collapse that is normal after death. Hemorrhagic bullae of emphysema may be found. These are related to the rupture of alveolar walls. These signs, while suggestive of drowning, are not conclusive. It is estimated that more than 85% of drownings could be prevented by supervision, training in water skills, technology, and public education. Measures that help to prevent drowning include

3599-408: The person stands a good chance of recovery if attended to within minutes. More than 10% of drownings may involve laryngospasm , but the evidence suggests that it is not usually effective at preventing water from entering the trachea. The lack of water found in the lungs during autopsy does not necessarily mean there was no water at the time of drowning, as small amounts of freshwater are absorbed into

3660-413: The person survived for some time after the aspiration, or if CPR was attempted, and have been described in other causes of death. Most autopsy findings relate to asphyxia and are not specific to drowning. The signs of drowning are degraded by decomposition. Large amounts of froth will be present around the mouth and nostrils and in the upper and lower airways in freshly drowned bodies. The volume of froth

3721-400: The victim in another manner. Also, there are modern flying drones that can drop life jackets. Bystanders should immediately call for help. A lifeguard should be called, if present. If not, an emergency telephone number should be contacted as soon as possible, to get the help of professionals and paramedics . In some cases of drowning, victims have been rescued by professionals from a boat or

SECTION 60

#1732855464513
#512487