症例 challenge · Emergency / Critical care / Pediatrics · teaching

Drowning — Management Pathway · case challenge

Given a case, work through the care pathway step by step; the tool checks each choice and scores you. Decisions and basis are taken from this site's reviewed care pathways.

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Case #1Emergency / Critical care / Pediatrics

📋 Case data

Symptomatic/hypoxic?Symptomatic / needs oxygen / abnormal consciousness or breathing

Data is taken from this pathway's reviewed node text. Work through the pathway step by step.

Step 1 / 1 · Symptomatic/hypoxic?

Symptomatic / hypoxic?

💡 Drowning = respiratory impairment from submersion; the core injury is hypoxia (laryngospasm/aspiration → lung injury/ARDS/pulmonary edema). Rescue: do not endanger yourself; the priority is oxygenation and ventilation — open the airway, give rescue breaths first (drowning is a hypoxic arrest, ventilation before standard C-A-B). No need to clear water from the airway; abdominal thrusts/Heimlich are not recommended (ineffective, delay ventilation). Cervical collar not routine (only with trauma/shallow-water diving signs).

For teaching. Decisions and their basis are taken from this site's reviewed care pathways; for licensed clinicians/trainees, this does not replace clinical judgment or local protocols.