Two children rushed to Hillel Yaffe for treatment after drowning

This past weekend two children who almost drowned were rushed to the Pediatric Emergency Room at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. 

The first case was a 12-year-old girl who had been pulled out of the water after enjoying an outing with her family to the beach in Hadera. An ambulance that arrived on the scene stabilized her, but her respiratory condition deteriorated and she was hospitalized in the general Intensive Care Unit at Hillel Yaffe. She was stabilized again and transferred to the Pediatrics Department, is now in good condition and is expected to be discharged within the next few days.

The second case was a six-year-old boy who went swimming in a private swimming pool near Hadera. He was rescued by a neighbor after he hand got stuck in the pool filter. His older, eight-year-old brother, noticed that he was in danger, tried to rescue him, and when he realized he couldn't, took initiative and ran to the neighbor's house for help. The neighbor rescued the child, who started breathing again on his own. The boy was transferred to the Pediatrics Department at Hillel Yaffe for observation and treatment and has already been discharged.

Dr. Adi Klein, Director of the Pediatrics Department, frequently and repeatedly warns parents and children to be especially careful when at the beach or in the pool. "Remember," said Dr. Klein, "toddlers can drown in 10 cm of water. Because small children's heads are heavy relative to their body weight, they can flip over easily and drown even in a container of water like a bucket."

When drowning, drops of water that enter the airways, causing irritation and blocking the vocal chords. This leads the airways to be blocked and a lack of oxygen to the lungs and brain, and loss of consciousness. This is followed by spasm of the vocal chords and entry of water into the lungs. It only takes a few minutes underwater for irreversible brain damage and even death to occur. Drowning generally happens quickly and silently, without crying or sounds of distress. Therefore, toddlers and young children must be constantly supervised. It is important to take all possible precautions and, obviously, to go only to official beaches and pools when lifeguards are on duty.

Dr. Klein's recommendations in the case of drowning:

• It is very important for a professional (lifeguard) to assist in the rescue. There are many cases in which the rescue effort results in the rescuer drowning. 
• After removing the person from the water, check their vital signs. If there are no vital signs, resuscitation should be started and ambulance called immediately. 
• Continue with resuscitation, including CPR until the medical team arrives at the scene. 
• In the event of drowning or near drowning, the victim must be taken to the hospital, because life-threatening issues may arise later.

Children in the water. Be very cautious