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At present, there is no reliable information indicating the best option of rescuing a non-breathing drowning victim in the water. Our objectives were to compare the outcomes of performing immediate in-water resuscitation (IWR) or delaying resuscitation until the victim is brought to shore.

A retrospective data analysis was conducted of non-breathing drowning victims rescued by lifeguards in the coastal area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients were coded as IWR and no-IWR (NIWR) cases based on the lifeguard’s decision whether to perform IWR. Death and development of severe neurological damage (SND) were considered poor outcome.

Forty-six patients were studied. Their median age was 17 (9–31) years. Nineteen (41.3%) patients received IWR and 27 (58.7%) did not. The mortality rate was lower for IWR cases (15.8% versus 85.2%, P<0.001). However, among …