Choking is caused by a blockage in the throat, which restricts airflow. Most often, choking in adults is the result of getting food stuck in the windpipe. In children, choking commonly occurs when toys, coins, or other small objects become lodged in the throat. When air cannot flow into the lungs, serious brain damage occurs in 5 to 6.
The fourth leading cause of unintentional injury is choking, which kills over 5,000 people a year. How a choking incident is treated is different by age. Here’s a response guide for choking in babies, toddlers, older adults, adults, and yourself.
What to Do If a Baby Is Choking
1.
Let the baby
cough. Coughing is the most effective way
to dislodge something from the airway.
2.
Check choking
signs. A choking baby may be unable to cough or cry.
Typically, a choking baby will open their mouth wide while their skin turns red
or blue.
3.
Call 911. Ask someone to call 911 immediately. If you are alone with
the infant, call 911 after 2 minutes of treatment.
4.
Begin back
blows. Place the baby face down on your forearm, with
their jaw cradled in your thumb and forefinger, and their head settled lower
than their chest. Use the heel of your hand to firmly hit the baby’s back five
times between the shoulder blades.
5.
Begin chest
thrusts. Turn the infant over while still
resting your forearm on their front side. Sit down and place the baby’s back on
your thigh, with their head still lower than the chest. Put two or three
fingers between the baby’s nipples. Thrust by pushing straight down on the
chest 1.5 inches in a smooth motion, and then allow the chest to return. Repeat
five times.
6.
Repeat 5-and-5.
Repeat five back blows and five
chest thrusts. Check the baby’s throat for the choking object after each cycle.
7.
Begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). If the baby becomes unconscious and stops breathing, place
them on the flat ground.
8.
Begin chest
compressions. This is similar to chest thrusts,
but the baby is kept flat on the ground and your free hand is placed on their
forehead. Administer 30 chest compressions with your two or three fingers in
the center of the baby’s nipples, at a rate of two per second.
9.
Give two rescue
breaths. Open the baby’s airway by placing a hand on
their forehead and two fingers on the chin. Make a seal over their mouth and
nose with your mouth, inhale a normal-sized breath, then blow into the baby’s
mouth for one second, making sure their chest rises.
10.
Check airway . If the chest doesn’t rise, the baby’s airway is blocked.
Look into the baby’s airway and attempt to dislodge the object.
11.
Repeat cycle. Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths until
the baby stops choking or medical personnel arrive.
What to Do if a Toddler Is Choking
1.
Let the toddler
cough. Let the toddler continue coughing
to dislodge the object.
2.
Call 911. Ask someone to call 911 immediately. If you are alone with
the child, call 911 after two minutes of treatment.
3.
Begin back
blows. Lay the child over your lap face
down, or support the them in a forward-leaning position. Give them five firm
back blows between the shoulder blades.
4.
Begin Heimlich
maneuver or abdominal thrusts.
While standing or kneeling, wrap your arms around their upper abdomen. Clench
your fist and place it above the child’s belly button. Grasp your fist with
your other hand on top, then pull it inward and upward. Repeat five times.
5.
Repeat 5-and-5.
Repeat five back blows and five
abdominal thrusts. Check their throat for the choking object after each cycle.
6.
Begin CPR. If they become unconscious or stop breathing, place them
on the flat ground.
7.
Begin chest
compressions. Place your hands one on top of the
other in the middle of the toddler’s chest. Deliver 30 chest compressions, two
inches deep, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. Push down firmly, but
not too hard as you could break the child’s rib cage.
8.
Give two rescue
breaths. Tilt their head to open the
airway, plug their nose, and seal your mouth over the top of their mouth. Give
two large breaths, delivered at one second each, making sure the chest rises.
9.
Repeat cycle. Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths until
they stop choking or medical personnel arrive.
What to Do if
an Adult Is Choking
1.
Determine the
severity. Ask, “Are you choking?” before
performing any first aid. If the adult is coughing, let them cough to continue
to dislodge the choking hazard.
2.
Call 911. Ask someone to call 911 immediately. If you are alone with
them, call 911 after two minutes of treatment.
3.
Begin back
blows. Bend the person over at their
waist, crossing your less dominant arm over their chest. Use your dominant arm
to deliver five powerful back blows between their shoulder blades.
4.
Begin Heimlich
maneuver or abdominal thrusts.
Stand up and place your leg between their legs to support them if they faint or
pass out. Next, wrap your arms around their upper abdomen. Clench your fist and
place it above their belly button. Grasp your fist with your other hand on top,
then pull it inward and upward quickly. Repeat five times. If they are pregnant
or obese, wrap your arms around their chest instead of their upper abdomen, and
put your hands in the middle of their chest.
5.
Repeat 5-and-5.
Repeat five back blows and five
abdominal thrusts. Check their throat for the choking object after each cycle.
6.
Begin CPR. If they become unconscious or stop breathing, lay them on
the ground on a flat surface.
7.
Begin chest
compressions. Place your hands one on top of the
other in the middle of their chest. Use your body weight and deliver chest
compressions two inches deep at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
8.
Give two rescue
breaths. Tilt their head to open the
airway, plug their nose, and seal your mouth over the top of their mouth. Give
two large breaths, making sure their chest rises.
9.
Repeat cycle. Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths until
they stop choking or medical personnel arrive.
What to Do if
an Older Adult Is Choking
1.
Assess whether
or not they’re choking. Sometimes it
can be difficult to tell if an older adult who is coughing during a meal is
actually choking, since coughing is a common reflex of aging. Signs of an older
adult choking include being unable to talk or breathe, motioning towards the
throat, or skin turning grey or blue. If they are coughing, let them continue
to expel the choking hazard. If the person wears dentures, check if they are in
the way.
2.
Call 911. Ask someone to call 911 immediately. If you are alone with
them, call 911 after two minutes of treatment.
3.
Begin back
blows. Bend them over at their waist,
crossing your less dominant arm over their chest. Use your dominant arm to
deliver five powerful back blows between their shoulder blades.
4.
Begin Heimlich
maneuver or abdominal thrusts.
Stand up and place your leg between their legs to support them if they faint or
pass out. Next, wrap your arms around their upper abdomen. Clench your fist and
place it above their belly button. Grasp your fist with your other hand on top,
then pull it inward and upward quickly. Repeat five times.
5.
Repeat 5-and-5.
Repeat five back blows and five
abdominal thrusts. Check their throat for the choking object after each cycle.
6.
Begin CPR. If they become unconscious or stop breathing, lay them on
the ground on a flat surface.
7.
Begin chest
compressions. Place your hands one on top of the
other in the middle of the chest. Use your body weight and deliver chest
compressions 2 inches deep at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
8.
Give two rescue
breaths. Tilt their head to open the
airway, plug their nose, and seal your mouth over the top of their mouth. Give
two large breaths, making sure their chest rises.
9.
Repeat cycle. Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths until
they stop choking or medical personnel arrive.
What to Do if
You’re Choking
:
1.
Cough it up. The cough reflex is most effective for dislodging an
object from your airway.
2.
Call 911. Call 911 and leave your phone on, even if you can’t talk.
The operator will still send paramedics.
3.
Begin the
self-Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts.
You can do an abdominal thrust on yourself, the same way you’d perform it on
another person. Clench your fist and place it above your belly button, then
grasp your fist with your other hand and pull it inward and upward quickly.
4.
Repeat. Try to force the object out until medical personnel
arrive. You can push your abdomen into the back of a chair or the corner of a
table, where you can assert more pressure.
“A nuclear-power plant is infinitely safer than eating because 300
people choke to death on food every year.” (Dixie Lee Ray) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation” from Wikipedia
·
“How to Help a Choking Victim” by wikiHow
·
“What to Do If
Someone Is Choking: Responding to Adults, Babies, and Toddlers” by Amelia
Nieilson-Stowell
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