A few months ago one of the workers in our local indoor pool told me that my son could not use the Finis snorkel in the pool because it "blocks the airway". My son and I both had been using it for months without anyone mentioning this to us. Perhaps as a pediatric ER physician I should understand what on earth she is talking about, but I really don't. About the only scenario I can think of that would be a problem is if someone seizes in the pool and they can't get the snorkel out of the mouth to maintain an airway.
Have any of you encountered such a rule in your indoor pool? It was never an issue in our neighborhood summer pool. I really find the snorkel to be helpful with many drills that we do and miss it a lot.
You can by an adapter for the snorkel to restrict the airway to make breathing harder.I don't see how that could be considered dangerous,but perhaps that is somehow related to what she was referring to.I have never heard of them not being allowed and think it is a pretty dumb idea!
Getting a bit far afield, I know, but I thought traditional CPR was more-or-less discredited and that now you were supposed to just do chest compressions, especially with just a single person performing CPR (every time you stop chest compressions to breathe into the victim you halt blood flow).
You are partially correct. What you are describing is what is recommended for the person with pretty much no experience in CPR. However, a lifeguard who is well trained in BLS should give rescue breaths. What is new compared to a few years ago is that the ratio of compressions to breaths is higher, for exactly the reason you said. Every time you stop compressions, it takes a little while to "prime" the blood again. However, an airway and oxygen is most certainly needed, otherwise you are pumping blood with inadequate oxygen pressure which accomplishes nothing.
In the case of an inexperienced performer, studies show that their breaths and compressions are not terribly effective, so they are better off keeping the blood at least partially primed and hoping the oxygen tension is sufficient until help comes along.
I have that snorkel and I can't imagine it not being allowed, either. I can even push it aside when I'm taking a break and not have it on my mouth while it's still around my head so it's not even a "permanent" thing over my mouth. Do they restrict all snorkels or just the Finis one?
Heck, they have a few of them available to try/use at the YWCA I swam at last year. I'd ask for more rationale, maybe a reference to some bulletin outlining the perceived danger.
She told me they make exceptions to allow elderly folks to use snorkels. I really didn't say anything, but I think I'll talk to management about it. If they need to give CPR it would take but a second to get it out of the mouth.
Thanks for the answers. I wanted to make sure this wasn't some common rule.
Getting a bit far afield, I know, but I thought traditional CPR was more-or-less discredited and that now you were supposed to just do chest compressions, especially with just a single person performing CPR (every time you stop chest compressions to breathe into the victim you halt blood flow).
Its an apparatus FOR breathing! What the hell are they smoking? Next they ask you to leave for not breathing enough while swimming.
I'd definintely ask MGMT explain this one to me.
