Assessing the efficacy of rescue equipment in lifeguard resuscitation efforts for drowning.

PURPOSE: The whole drowning process usually occurs within seconds to a few minutes. An early rescue may stop and/or prevent most medical complications. Fins, rescue tube, and rescue board (RB) are the equipment most frequently used by lifeguards. Our objective was to compare, in a water rescue quasiexperimental trial, these different pieces of rescue equipment to define the safest and with the lower rescue time as well as to assess their effects on the lifeguards' physiological state and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance.

METHOD: A controlled trial was conducted to study the time effect of 4 different rescue techniques and assess CPR quality, along with the physiological effects of each rescue technique (blood lactate and subjective Borg's scale effort perception) on 35 lifeguards.

RESULTS: Among the final sample subjects (n = 23), a total of 92 rescues were completed. Total water rescue time was longer without equipment (NE). The total rescue time was significantly lower using RB (P < .001). Similar good quality of CPR before and after water rescue was observed in all trials (P > .05), although correct ventilations represented less than 50% of total in all trials. Blood lactate increased after all rescues. The subjective effort Borg's scale showed significantly less effort using RB vs without equipment, fins, and fins and rescue tube.

CONCLUSION: The use of propelling and/or floating equipment saves precious time with repercussions in the reduction of drowning mortality and morbidity. The RB offers a significant advantage. Lifeguards need more CPR training, especially considering the importance of efficient ventilations for drowning victims.