Rescue breaths

[x_yeti]

I would like to know where your information and conclusions come from. I assume from personal experience.

Playing devil's advocate here, but where does all the data on drownings come from? Surely the researchers weren't present at every drowning or near drowning? EDIT: Ok just took a look at the numbers and details involved in that study. I'm pretty sure it has almost no validity for freediving.

At least in freediving we have (or should have) video recordings of every competition BO. It could be easy for researchers to request these videos from AIDA, CMAS etc. and draw conclusions based on that.

 

[Hydro-Mike]

Fitz- Nice posts, your experience and education show through.

 

[Mullins]

I just want to know what this means:

I am an agnostic until proven wrong.

 

[Fitz-Clarke]

At least in freediving we have (or should have) video recordings of every competition BO.

Does anyone want to take this on as a project? Compile a library of video clips of blackouts. Sambas of a few seconds are not useful. Longer ones where there is either rescue breathing or spontaneous recovery after a prolonged delay, and a time frame can be established.

 

[whiteminiman]

One last point that I'd like to debate. The nature of the rescue breath. Everyone so far seems to have described CPR style rescue breaths i.e. natural breathing pressure for short duration. Any idea where the hard, fast breaths to release a laryngospasm school of thought originated?

I have no idea on the origins... but if you go down the route of "hard fast breaths" - you will simply blow air into the stomach - forcing it past the sphincter.

Inflating the stomach is an issue even with casualties who have not drowned and do not have laryngospasm. This is why the emphasis is on *breathing out* rather than *blowing* into the casualty.

If a casualty has laryngospasm, then the likelihood of putting air into the stomach (and the risk of subsequently regurgitation) is high.