Conscious Choking Victims
It is important for you to recognize the difference between a choking emergency and another emergency like heart-attack, seizure, or other respiratory failures. An individual usually begins to choke when a foreign object gets stuck in the airway.
If the choking seems severe i.e., the person is having difficulty breathing, is unable to speak, turns blue (cyanosis), and makes universal choking signs – you must immediately call 9-1-1.
If a person is getting enough air to breathe and cough, encourage the person to continue to cough to get the object out.
- Seek the victims consent before helping.
- Tell the person that you are trained in CPR, what you will be doing, and ask if the person wants to be helped.
- For a child seek the consent of the parent/guardian.
Abdominal Thrusts:
Stand or kneel behind the victim. Make a fist with one hand and place it on the person’s abdomen just above the navel. Grab the fist with the other hand and press the victim’s abdomen and give quick upward thrusts.
Repeat the thrusts until the object is dislodged. Each thrust should be distinct and separate from each other.
For pregnant women and people too big for you, perform chest thrusts instant of abdominal thrusts.
Thrust Defined: To push forcibly
Unconscious Choking Victims
While performing abdominal thrusts on a conscious person, the person may become unresponsive and unconscious. In this situation you know the cause of the victim’s symptoms and should call 9-1-1 if you have not already done so.
- Open the airway and look for the object.
- If you see the object, remove it with your fingers.
- Begin CPR for about 5 cycles or 2 minutes.
- Every time you open the mouth to give breaths, open it wide to look for the object.
- Continue giving CPR.
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