Near drowning.

Many thousands of individuals are near drowning victims each year in this country. The majority of these will be young, previously healthy people. The key to their successful outcome and return to productive, full lives is aggressive resuscitation by emergency physicians and prehospital care providers. After multiple studies over many years there is consensus on one point: the most important enemy of the near drowning victim is hypoxia. Attention should be focused on immediate institution of resuscitative measures at the earliest possible opportunity, and the basic principles of both ACLS and ATLS. Finally, most of these near drownings should never take place. Emergency physicians must take the lead in public education on prevention of drowning and near drowning.