Near drowning refers to an individual that almost dies from suffocation under water, usually fresh water or sea water. In other words, a person is not able to breathe as a result of being submersed under water. There is survival for more than 24 hours after the incident occurred. Near drowning is different from drowning where there is death within 24 hours from suffocation by immersion in a liquid.

According to Red Cross Canada (2003), there were 3,000 hospitalizations for near drownings from 1991 to 2000. Near drowning may occur in as little as a few inches of water. A study from Canada reported that inadequate adult supervision is the most significant factor of infants and small children drowning in the bath. Other factors involve co-bathing, use of infant bath seats and presence of other medical disorders that increase an infant’s risks of drowning. It is necessary to manage every near drowning situation, even if there are no evident complications. Complications may not develop until hours later, which can include, dry drowning and recovery syncope, among others.

Causes of Near Drowning

Cases of near drowning are typically accidents. The most common causes of near drowning include:

• Inability to swim or panicking while swimming
• Leaving small children unattended around bathtubs or any body of water
• Drinking alcohol while swimming or engaging in other activities that involve the water
• Falling through thin ice
• Head trauma or seizures while in the water
• Suicide attempt

Signs and Symptoms of Near Drowning

Although near drowning is dramatized as a loud, full of screaming scene in movies, this is often not the case. Most cases of near drowning do not have loud sounds, thus one must watch out for cases of near drowning in pools, lakes, rivers, beach, or anywhere there is a body of water. Some of the signs and symptoms of near drowning are the following:

• Uneven swimming motions
• Body is sinking or has sank, typically only the head is shown above water
• Cyanosis of the face, especially around the lips
• Cold skin and pale appearance
• Abdominal distention
• Chest pain
• No breathing/ rise and fall of chest
• Coughing with pink, frothy sputum
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Lethargy
• Gasping respirations
• Loss of consciousness

First Aid Management for Near Drowning

It is necessary to apply first aid in all cases of near drowning as it may just help save a life. Recommended steps for near drowning includes:

• Do not get into the water unless one is sure that it is safe and unless one knows how to swim. It will be harder to treat if there are more victims.
• If one is trained to swim and rescue people, do so. Otherwise, other steps may be done.
• Attempt to extend a long pole, fallen tree branch, or throw a rope with a buoyant object, such as life ring or life jacked, attached. After tossing to the person, attempt to pull the victim to the shore.
• If the victim is unconscious, check for circulation, airways and breathing. Initiate rescue breathing and CPR if necessary.
• Avoid turning or bending the neck.
• If there are other injuries, such as bleeding, apply first aid appropriately.
• Remove and wet, cold clothes from the person and cover with something warm, if possible, to avoid hypothermia.

Disclaimer: This article does not provide medical advice and should not be substituted for formal first aid training. The information given should not be used for self-diagnosis. Seek medical attention when necessary. It is important to recognise medical emergencies at all times to avoid complications from developing. To learn more about to how to manage near drowning, enrol in standard first aid training with a credible Canadian provider.

Sources:

Draper, Richard. (2011, May 23). Drowning and Near Drowning Patient Plus. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Drowning-and-near-drowning.htm

Near Drowning. (2011, January 4). National Institute of Health. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000046.htm

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A person experiencing faintness may have symptoms depending on the underlying cause. Faintness or dizziness gives a person a spinning sensation named vertigo.

Disclaimer: the information posted here on fainting and the feeling of about to faint is for learning purposes only. To learn to recognize, prevent and manage fainting enrol in St Mark James first aid and CPR programs.

Causes

There are many conditions that may cause faintness. The common causes of faintness include:

• Anemia
• Acute hyperventilation
• Alcohol consumption
• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Drug side effect
• Emphysema
• Emotional stress
• Food allergy
• Hypoglycemia
• High blood pressure
• Influenza
• Low blood pressure
• Labyrinthitis
• Motion sickness
• Otitis media
• Postural hypotension
• Sinusitis
• Vertigo
• Upper respiratory infection
• Vasovagal syncope
• Vestibular neuronitis

Less common causes of faintness include:

• Acromegaly
• Acoustic neuroma
• Addison’s disease
• Cerebellar hemorrhage
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Congestive heart failure
• Concussion
• Cervical spondylosis
• Cyanide poisoning
• Decompression illness
• Dilantin toxicity
• Digoxin toxicity
• Heart attack
• Head injury
• Herpes zoster
• High altitude pulmonary edema
• High altitude cerebral edema
• Lithium toxicity
• Meniere’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Migraine headache
• Otosclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post concussion syndrome
• Polycythemia Vera
• Preeclampsia
• Shy-Drager syndrome
• Seizure
• Stroke
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Temporal lobe seizure
• Theophylline toxicity
• TIA
• Thiamine deficiency

Treatment

Treatment for faintness depends on the underlying cause.

General treatment options may include:

• Rest – plenty of bed rest and using a walker or cane to promote proper walking
• Avoiding yourself frommaking drastic changes in posture or body positions
• Medications to reduce faintness and vertigo
• Avoid making sudden or jerky movements of the head
• Take medication for other symptoms that occur with faintness such as nausea and vomiting

Home care

Follow these home care steps to reduce faintness:

• Quit smoking and avoid passive smoking
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine
• Avoid rapid and jerky movements of the head
• Elderly people may require additional support while walking. A fall due to faintness or dizziness may result in broken bones and fractures
• Avoid rising rapidly from sitting positions

If you feel faint, follow these steps:

• Lie down on your back
• Elevate your feet above heart level for 10-20 minutes to encourage circulation
• Avoid climbing stairs to prevent falls and injuries
• Avoid walking to prevent falls and injuries

Warning signs

See your doctor immediately if you experience the following problems along with faintness:

• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
• Black stool
• Chest pain
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Heart palpitations
• Rectal bleeding
• Recurrent or persistent vomiting
• Severe vaginal bleeding
• Unconsciousness
• Vomiting blood
• Vomiting blood clots or dark clots that may looks like coffee grounds
• Weakness on one side of the body – arm weakness, leg weakness, arm and leg weakness
• Worsening headache

Learn More

To learn more about the signs and symptoms and how to help people that have fainted sign up for first aid and CPR classes with credible St Mark James providers.

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Disclaimer: the material posted on this blog on urinary retention is for information purposes only. Consult your doctor if you have any questions. To learn basic first aid and CPR  enrol in a St Mark James program today.

Risk factors

Some of the risk factors associated with urinary retention are as follows:

• Abdominal injury
• Abnormal bladder or abnormal urethra
• Elderly
• Bladder surgery
• Prostate enlargement
• Prostate cancer
• Herpes genitalis
• Hematuria
• General anesthesia
• Kidney stones
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinal cord tumor
• Spinal stenosis
• Side effects of certain medication such as antihistamine medications, anti-inflammatory medications or anticholinergic medications
• Urethral surgery
• Urethral stricture
• Urinary tract infections

Causes of urinary retention

Common causes of urinary retention include:

• Anxiety and distress
• Bladder stones
• Bladder injury
• Bladder surgery
• Herpes genitalis
• General anesthesia
• Side effects of certain medications
• Prostate enlargement
• Prostate cancer
• Prostatitis
• Spinal cord injury
• Injury to the urethra: genitourinary injury

Signs and symptoms of urinary retention

Common signs and symptoms of urinary retention include:

• Difficulty urinating
• Inability to urinate
• Increased urge to urinate
• Decreased urination – very small amounts of urine is being passed out
• Lower abdominal swelling due to bladder swelling
• Back pain, particularly in the lower back
• Excessive sweating
• Blood or blood clots in the urine

Complications

Complications that may arise as a result of urinary retention include:

• Kidney abscess
• Acute pyelonephritis
• Kidney failure
• Kidney disease
• Urinary tract infection

When to seek medical attention

Seek immediate medical help if any of the symptoms or problems results along with urinary retention:

• You are unable to urinate
• You feel pain while urinating
• Your urine is cloudy
• Your urinary frequency has increased drastically
• You are suffering from hematuria: blood in the urine, blood clots in the urine or red/pink urine
• Your lower abdominal pain is worsening
• Your lower back pain is worsening
• You are suffering from flank pain
• You are suffering from a fever of over 101 F or 38.3 C

Treatment

If you suffer from any of the symptoms of urinary retention, see you doctor immediately.

Treatment usually depends on the underlying cause of the urinary retention.

Initial treatment involves the insertion of the urinary catheter into your bladder. This will drain the urine from the urinary bladder to resolve the symptoms of urinary retention. Your doctor may prescribe medication to treat the condition.

Surgery may be required, depending on the underlying cause, for example, to remove an obstruction in the urethra which is causing the urinary retention.

After getting the necessary treatment, follow these home treatment steps:

• Drink plenty of liquids
• Take medication as directed and prescribed by your health care provider. Avoid skipping doses and familiarize yourself with the common side effects of the prescribed medication

Prevention

Prevention of urinary retention involves the following lifestyle changes:

• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid sedatives and antihistamines in case you have an enlarged prostate
• When you feel the urge to urinate, do not postpone it
• Do not rush when you are in the bathroom, allow your bladder to empty itself completely

Learn More

To learn more about basic first aid and CPR training enrol in St Mark James first aid training (enrol here) with a provider near you.

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Causes

When the ankle is stressed over its limit that it does not have the strength to bear any weight or pressure, an ankle injury may be the reason. Ankle fractures may be caused when a bone breaks and/or when the ligaments tear. Some of the common causes that may tear the ligaments of your joint include:

• Rolling or twisting your ankle
• Extending or flexing the joint too much
• Jumping from a high altitude

Symptoms

Some of the common signs and symptoms of ankle fractures include:

• Pain—sometimes you may not feel pain in the exact location of the fracture
• Swelling around the ankle
• Bruising—hemarthrosis—black or blue discoloration of the affected region
• Bone deformity around the ankle—the bone may be exposed
• Pale skin
• Numbness
• Inability to move the affected foot

Treatment

If you suspect that you may have fractured your foot, call emergency medical help. In the meantime, follow these steps:

1. Do NOT try to push back the protruding bone to its place. Simply cover the affected region with a sterile bandage or clean cloth
2. Stop the bleeding. Do this by applying direct pressure on the wounds with a clean cloth for about 15 minutes. Elevate the affected region, if possible and replace the cloth if the blood absorbs though
3. Control the swelling with RICE:

• Rest the ankle
• Ice the affected region
• Compress the affected region by wrapping it with an elastic bandage
• Elevate the affected  ankle above heart level

4. Control pain and inflammation. Take over-the-counter pain medicine such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Avoid giving aspirin to young children and teenagers under 18 years of age
5. If help has not arrived yet, ask a family member or friend to take you to the hospital immediately

Learn More

To learn more about bone, joint and ligament injuries and how to provide first aid for them enrol in St Mark James first aid and CPR training (more information).

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• Pregnancy
• Motion sickness
• Vertigo
• Digestive infection
• Certain medication
• Certain foods

The best way to treat nausea is to recognize the underlying cause and treat it. For example, if alcohol is causing the problem, stop drinking.

Treatment

There are, however, a few causes of nausea such as pregnancy that cannot be ‘treated’ or do not have to be treated for that matter. However, the problem can be alleviated by taking the following steps:

1. Take slow and deep breaths
2. Take ginger or vitamin B6 supplements
3. Take over-the-counter medication for nausea. This includes anti-histamines as well
4. Keep yourself well-hydrated with clear liquids such as broths, herbal tea and juices. Avoid fizzy drinks, soft drinks, alcohol, water and milk
5. Consult your doctor if the above mentioned treatment methods are ineffective. If you are pregnant, you should consult your doctor BEFORE you consider following the steps

Tips

• During pregnancy, avoid taking any dietary supplements or medication for nausea unless prescribed by your doctor
• Food poisoning is your body’s natural mechanism to remove bacteria. Within the first 2 hours, vomiting should be natural.  Consult your doctor if food poisoning remains persistent and vomiting continues for more than 2 hours. Uncontrolled vomiting may also cause dehydration due to excessive loss of water.

When to seek medical attention

• Vomiting continues for more than 1 day—if the sufferer is very young, see your doctor after a few hours of vomiting
• Blood is present in the vomit
• Head trauma or infection has caused the vomiting
• The sufferer is lethargic, confused, less alert or is showing other forms of unusual behavioural changes
• If the child is the sufferer and has not urinated for more than 6 hours
• If the person is suffering from a fever of more than 101 F
• If vomiting is accompanied by diarrhoea
• If the person suffers from severe abdominal pain

Learn More

Vomiting when partnered with other symptoms may be a sign of other serious medical emergencies. To learn about the other symptoms and how to manage emergency situations enrol into a first aid course with a credible provider via St Mark James. Learn when to contact EMS and how to recognize dozens of emergency scenarios.

Video Related to Nausea 

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