Doctor reveals why you should NEVER turn a drowning victim upside down
A DOCTOR has revealed why you should never turn a drowning victim upside down.
NHS surgeon and TikTok star Dr Karan Rajan used a kettle to simulate the dangers of "holding someone like a prized fish" during first aid.
He was responding to a video in which a woman said: "Now I am CPR certified, I would never want this video to advocate for anything other than immediately starting CPR once you've pulled someone out of the water after they've downed.
"But why doesn't turning someone upside down work?"
Dr Rajan, who has 4.4 million TikTok followers, explained that doing so actually shuts off the oxygen supply and used a kettle to demonstrate.
In the video, shared on Instagram, he said: "When water hits the airway, whether you're conscious or unconscious, it triggers something known as laryngospasm.
"The larynx in the upper airway constricts and shuts off the airway so no more water can get into the lungs.
"But this also means no more oxygen can get in either and it's the lack of oxygen that gets them.
"Only a tiny bit of water ends up in the lungs but that gets absorbed by the bloodstream.
"If you hold someone upside down like a prized fish, you would be treating the wrong thing.
"The two things we need to focus on here is circulation and oxygenation."One viewer asked whether when performing CPR you are trying to open the closed kettle lid.
Dr Rajan responded: "No, you're trying to compress the heart to maintain blood flow to vital organs."
His followers quickly praised him for yet another educational clip.
One wrote: "Thank you for making this video! It is scary how social media platforms are spreading disinformation and doubt about the medical field."
Another commented: "You're the man. Love those educational videos."
Dr Rajan has previously explained why you shouldn't sleep on your front, what really happens when someone is cremated, and why severed feet keep washing up on beaches – with their trainers still on.
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