Question

You enter the water to rescue a victim with a suspected spinal injury. You determine that the victim is not breathing. What should you do next?

a. Delay removal from the water and provide 2 minutes of in-water ventilations.
b. Remove the victim water using a modified spinal backboarding procedure.
c. Remove the victim from the water using the Extrication Using a Backboard at the Pool Edge technique.
d. Remove the victim from the water using the spinal backboarding procedure.

Answer 1

The correct next step when you enter the water to rescue a victim with a suspected spinal injury who is not breathing is to remove the victim from the water using the Extrication Using a Backboard at the Pool Edge technique.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct next step when you enter the water to rescue a victim with a suspected spinal injury who is not breathing is to remove the victim from the water using the Extrication Using a Backboard at the Pool Edge technique (option c).

Removing the victim from the water should be the first priority because performing CPR in the water is ineffective. Once on stable ground, you can begin CPR to provide artificial respiration to the victim.

It is important to note that starting CPR within minutes is crucial for increasing the chances of a full recovery. Brain cells can start to die after about six minutes without oxygen. Therefore, prompt action is essential.