DROWNING

A person who has stopped breathing has only 4 minutes to live! You must act fast!

Start mouth-to-mouth breathing at once (see below) if possible, even before the drowning person is out of the water, as soon as it is shallow enough to stand.

If you cannot blow air into his lungs, when you reach the shore, quickly put him on his side with his head lower than his feet and push his belly as described above. Then continue mouth-to-mouth breathing at once.

ALWAYS START MOUTH-TO-MOUTH BREATHING AT ONCE before trying to get water out of the drowning person's chest.

WHAT TO DO WHEN BREATHING STOPS: MOUTH-TO-MOUTH BREATHING

Common causes for breathing to stop are:

• something stuck in the throat
• the tongue or thick mucus blocking the throat of an unconscious person
• drowning, choking on smoke, or poisoning
• a strong blow to the head or chest
• a heart attack

A person can die within 4 minutes if he does not breathe.

If a person stops breathing, begin mouth-to-mouth breathing IMMEDIATELY.

Do all of the following as quickly as you can:

Step 1: Quickly use a finger to remove anything stuck in the mouth or throat. Pull the tongue forward. If there is mucus in the throat, quickly try to clear it out.

Step 2: Quickly but gently lay the person face up. Gently tilt his head back, and pull his jaw forward.

Step 3: Pinch his nostrils closed with your fingers, open his mouth wide, cover his mouth with yours, and blow strongly into his lungs so that his chest rises. Pause to let the air come back out and blow again. Repeat about once every 5 seconds. With babies and small children, cover the nose and mouth with your mouth and breathe very gently about once every 3 seconds.

Continue mouth-to-mouth breathing until the person can breathe by himself, or until there is no doubt he is dead. Sometimes you must keep trying for an hour or more.

Note: Unless there is an open sore or bleeding in the mouth, it is not possible to give or get HIV from mouth-to-mouth breathing.