Drowning

The drowning is an intoxication due to the water entry in the respiratory tracts. In a strict sense, the drowning involves the death, but the term in the facts is also used for non-fatal cases, in a general way when there is a acute Asphyxie (lack of Air) of an immersed person being found.

The water penetration, even in negligible quantity, in the respiratory Tracts, causes a Apnée reflex: the épiglotte is closed to protect the respiratory tracts, preventing from breathing even when the head is found out of water. Consequently, the Oxygène available in the organization decreases: one speaks about Hypoxie. The persistent after-effects after the drowning of the victim are function of the importance of the hypoxia and its duration, but the possible presence of water in the lungs causes a traumatic pulmonary edema. This edema, as well as water having penetrated, obstruct the gaseous exchange on the level of the alveolar Paroi and maintain the oxygen deficit even if the person breathes spontaneously.

Typically, one distinguishes four stages from the drowning (by order ascending of gravity): the aquastress, small hypoxia, great hypoxia and anoxic drowning.

The most frequent causes

Accidental falls with water (deprived swimming pools, etc), the over-estimate of its capacities (at sea often), the undervaluation of the risks on the place of bathe, continuation of a accident syncopal, a exercise of apnea, etc

How to avoid them?

To bring a constant vigilance for the private swimming pools, not to over-estimate, warn a person in charge of the safety of the place of bathe at the time of apnea or for the people prone to crises of Spasmophilia or epilepsy. To swim under good conditions (not of blows of pumps, etc) of not playing with the young children in a too deep water.

How to react?

The people qualified for the practice of the gestures of First aid will be able to start by applying them. For all, to prevent the helps as soon as possible (in France: Fireman S, SAMU, help at sea). See also the qualified personnel at sea, in swimming pool or on supervised water levels (BNSSA, BEESAN).

Drowning like means of capital execution

The drowning was used like average rapid and economic to kill condemned. The case most frequently quoted is that of the drownings of Nantes, ordered by Jean-Baptiste Carrier, to empty the prisons of Vendean which were there. Those were led at the edge of the Loire, and, after having removed their clothing, went up in barges which the torturers towed with boats until the center of the river. There, the barges were run with condemned, and the torturers completed with blow of saber those which sought to swim.

Sometimes, to have fun, the torturers practiced the “republican Mariage”, where a man and a woman, attaches whole face to face, were thus precipitated in the river.

Carrier had baptized the Loire the “bath-tub republican”.

The drowning was also used in the lawsuits of sorcery. A witch being lighter than water, according to the legend, one attached the feet and the hands to him together, then one precipitated it in water. If it floated, one dealt with witch, who was led at once to the Bûcher. If it drowned, it would die innocent.

The drowning was also naturally the means used by the pirates to get rid of the survivors of the hailed ships, when they did not present any value of hostage. Either they were precipitated with the sea, when the ship was preserved by the pirates, or they were drowned with their building.

See too

External bonds

  • Investigation drownings 2003 (document pdf, 130p, 1,7 Mo) of the National Sanitary Surveillance Institute (InVS)
  • drowning: catch of load préhospitalière, an article of the site Urgence-pratique.com
  • drowning, an article of the site International Company of Rescue of Léman SISL
  • innovative Method anti-drowning: to learn has to float

Simple: Drowning

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