4-year-old rescued in UAE after swimming pool near drowning
Health authorities in Abu Dhabi have praised the rapid response of emergency teams and hospital staff after a four-year-old girl was stabilised following a near-drowning incident.
SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, said the child was underwater face down in a swimming pool for about three minutes before a bystander managed to pull it out and perform CPR at the scene.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were activated, and on their arrival, responders stated the return of a pulse prior to transporting the child to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC). She came to the hospital about 30 minutes after the incident with respiratory distress.
At first, the child’s oxygen levels were normal and she was fully conscious.
Then her situation worsened quickly, in minutes, with dropping oxygen saturation and signs of neurological compromise.
Doctors in the Emergency Department at SKMC were able to use a point-of-care ultrasound to detect lung congestion consistent with post-submersion injury, allowing for immediate and focused treatment.
A multidisciplinary team activated emergency protocols and stabilised the patient before delivering her to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for ongoing management.
“Timely and coordinated intervention was critical in the child’s survival,” said Dr Fatima Al Jaberi, Consultant, Pediatric Emergency at SKMC.
“There are many incidents like drowning where every second counts. “The work done between our EMS team and those in hospital to stabilise the patient was integral,” she said.
The case underscores the importance of being aware about water safety and early intervention as well as the life-saving potential role that bystander CPR can play in emergencies, SEHA added.
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