INTRODUCTIONThis study was a descriptive analysis of national ambulance case records and aimed to make practical safety recommendations in order to reduce the incidence of drowning in swimming pools.

METHODSA search was performed of a national database of descriptive summaries by first-responder paramedics of all 995 calls made to the Singapore Civil Defence Force between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014. We included all cases of submersion in both public and private pools for which emergency medical services were activated.

RESULTSThe highest proportion of drowning cases occurred in the age group of 0-9 years. Males accounted for 57.0% (61/107) of cases. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed in 91.3% (21/23) and 68.6% (48/70) of cases of cardiac/respiratory arrest from drowning in public and private pools, respectively; the rate of bystander CPR was higher when a lifeguard was present (88.5%, 23/26 vs. 68.7%, 46/67). The majority (72.0%, 77/107) of drowning incidents occurred in private pools, most of which had no lifeguards present.

CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, this study was the first in Singapore to examine data from emergency medical services. Since the majority of incidents occurred in private pools without lifeguards, it is recommended that a lifeguard be present at every pool. For pools that are too small to justify mandatory lifeguard presence, safety measures, such as guidelines for pool design and pool fencing with latched gates, may be considered. As strict enforcement may not be possible, public education and parental vigilance remain vital.

INTRODUCTION: In our national emergency dispatch centre, the standard protocol for dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) involves the instruction 'push 100 times a minute 5 cm deep'. As part of quality improvement, the instruction was simplified to 'push hard and fast'. METHODS: We analysed all dispatcher-diagnosed OHCAs over four months in 2018: January to February ('push 100 times a minute 5 cm deep') and August to September ('push hard and fast'). We also performed secondary per-protocol analysis based on the protocol used: (a) standard (n = 48); (b) simplified (n = 227); and (c) own words (n = 231). RESULTS: A total of 506 cases were included: 282 in the 'before' group and 224 in the 'after' group. Adherence to the protocol was 15.2% in the 'before' phase and 72.8% in the 'after' phase (p < 0.001). The mean time between instruction and first compression for the 'before' and 'after' groups was 34.36 seconds and 26.83 seconds, respectively (p < 0.001). Time to first compression was 238.62 seconds and 218.83 seconds in the 'before' and 'after' groups, respectively (p = 0.016). In the per-protocol analysis, the interval between instruction and compression was 37.19 seconds, 28.31 seconds and 32.40 seconds in the standard protocol, simplified protocol and 'own words' groups, respectively (p = 0.005). The need for paraphrasing was 60.4% in the standard protocol group and 81.5% in the simplified group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Simplified instructions were associated with a shorter interval between instruction and first compression. Efforts should be directed at simplifying DACPR instructions.