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FIRST AID CHOCKING
Maneuvers to relieve choking are frequently life saving. Adults
most often choke
on a piece of food, such as a large piece of meat. Infants do
not have well-developed swallowing reflexes and may choke if given
small, rounded foods
such as peanuts or hard candies. Children, especially toddlers,
also may choke onballoons, toys, coins, other inedible objects that
they place in their mouth, and
foods (particularly rounded, smooth foods, such as hot dogs,
round candies, nuts,and grapes).
Coughing may be the first symptom and is often so severe that
the person cannotask for help. The person may grasp both hands near
the throat. Breathing and
speaking can become weak or stop. There can be high-pitched or
snoring sounds.The person can turn blue, have a seizure, or
faint.
First-Aid Treatment
Treatment for a person who is choking takes precedence over
calling foremergency medical care.
Performing Abdominal Thrusts
The rescuer stands behind the person and encircles the person's
abdomen with
the arms. With one hand, the rescuer forms a fist and clasps the
other handaround the fist. The rescuer places the hands halfway
between the breastbone and
navel and thrusts the hands inward and upward.
A strong cough often expels the object from the airway. A person
with a strongcough should be allowed to continue coughing. A person
who can speak
normally usually still has a strong cough. If a person who is
choking cannotcough, the rescuer delivers abdominal thrusts
(Heimlich maneuver). The
abdominal thrusts increase pressure in the abdomen and chest,
which expels theobject.
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If the person is conscious, the rescuer approaches from behind,
using the arms to
encircle the person's abdomen. The rescuer forms a fist, with
the thumb pointinginward, and places it between the breastbone and
navel, toward the person. The
other hand is placed firmly over the fisted hand. The hands are
then thrust inward
and upward forcefully, 5 times in succession. Less force should
be used if theperson is a child. Series of thrusts should be
repeated until the object is expelled.If the person loses
consciousness, the rescuer should stop the thrusts.
If the person loses consciousness, steps are taken to open the
airway and provideartificial respiration. Failure of the chest to
rise indicates that the airway is still
blocked. The rescuer checks the airway for, and removes, visible
objects.Artificial respiration is then resumed.
Clearing a Blocked Airway in an Infant
The infant is held face down with the chest resting on the
rescuer's forearm.Then, the rescuer strikes the infant's back
between the shoulder blades.
The infant is turned face up with the head lower than the body.
Then, the rescuerplaces the second and third fingers on the
infant's breastbone and thrusts inward
and upward.
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For an infant, abdominal thrusts are not performed. Instead, the
infant is turnedface down, the chest resting on the rescuer's
forearm, with the head lower than
the body. The rescuer then strikes the infant between the
shoulder blades 5 timesusing the heel of the hand (back blows). The
strikes should be firm but not hard
enough to cause injury. The rescuer then checks the mouth,
removing any visible
objects. If the airway remains blocked, the rescuer turns the
infant face up withthe head down, and using the second and third
fingers, thrusts inward andupward on the infant's breastbone 5
times (chest thrusts). The rescuer then
checks the mouth again.
